Longing For Hope
by Nyah-Cullen
Summary: 18 years after Blair and Louis' wedding. Blair's slipping away. Chuck's drowning in alcohol and his health may be in more danger than ever.. With no hope? A girl just learned the truth: she was adopted and the only clue she has is a Harry Winston ring.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Hello everyone! This is my first GG story, I hope you'll like it. I apologize for each mistake I made (I'm French) and I'm actually looking for a Beta if anyone's interested... Anyway, feel free to leave a review, I don't bite and I love them! :)**

**Disclaimer : I own nothing, except maybe a part of the plot. **

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

Today was Cornelia Dupont's eighteenth birthday. She spent the day with her parents and her little brother, Maxime. She was a young French girl who lived near Paris and she had the world at her feet. The following year, she would be attending at the best French commercial school : HEC. Everybody told her she had her father's hazel eyes and her mother's curly hair, and she believed it. She had an inner sense of fashion that had made her save her money for two years to buy Louboutin shoes. Her family wasn't very rich but she was loved more than she needed.

But Cornelia wasn't _truly_ happy. She had the weird feeling that she didn't belong to the suburbs of Paris and her family wasn't her family. She never saw a picture of her mother pregnant of her and she couldn't ignore her grandmother's dirty looks. The old Yvette Dupont never smiled nor hugged her granddaughter whereas she always seemed overjoyed to see Maxime.

"Mom? Can I ask you something?" Cornelia asked her mother when she was alone in the kitchen.

"Of course. Tell me."

"The other day, I overheard a conversation between Dad and grandma and she was muttering something such as... I was adopted. Is that true?"

Isabelle Dupont dropped the spoon she was using to melt the vinegar and the oil and turned to face her daughter. She sighed. What could she tell her? She couldn't lie anymore. If Cornelia had hazel eyes like Daniel and curly hair like Isabelle, it was only a coincidence. "Yes, it's true."

Cornelia stared at her mother in disbelief. "What? Why didn't you tell me? Have you _even_ planned on telling me one day?"

"We talked about it yesterday your father and me and we wanted to tell you but we didn't know when the right time was. I'm sorry you learned it that way. I love you Cornelia, no matter what. You're my daughter and-"

"No! You should have told me. Who are my parents? Why did they abandon me? Is that why you gave that weird name?" Cornelia yelled at her mother.

"I only met your mother. She was a pretty young girl who wasn't ready to be a mother. I asked about you father, she told me he was a jerk. I feared he raped her so I didn't ask more, she looked so sad. I don't know her name, only her middle name, Cornelia. Her mother asked me to name you after her." Isabelle was talking in a low voice, she was ashamed. She also feared that her daughter may want to know her parents and would leave her and her husband behind.

"Fine. Do you know anything more? Where were they from?"

"I don't know. They weren't French. They had an accent... English or American, I dare say. They weren't poor. Her mother had an Eleanor Waldorf bag. It was written on it. Do you remember the ring I gave you when you were fifteen?"

Cornelia was silent for a moment, thinking about it, and then she remembered it. It was an old piece of jewelry she didn't like very much. The false diamond was too big and she wasn't even sure it was made of gold. She had wanted to sell it on eBay but Isabelle caught her and forbade it to do it. "Yep. Why?"

"Your mother told me to give it to you." Isabelle whispered, as if it was a death or life secret. "It's the biggest diamond I've ever seen. I guess if you want to know your mother, you should go to a famous Jeweler who could figure out who made it for whom."

"Do you think I could go now?"

"Of course not! Everybody's here for you. It's your birthday, Cornelia. You can go tomorrow." Isabelle said. Cornelia nodded and went back to the living room. She paused and watched her "family". Maxime looked exactly like his father but he had Isabelle's wide bright smile. They all looked like they were related, but she didn't. That must have been why her grandmother never loved her as a granddaughter. Suddenly, she felt like a stranger. She should want to go and sit with them, laugh with them but she couldn't anymore.

Cornelia went straight to her room and pretended she didn't hear her brother calling her. Even if Maxime was three years younger than her, he could tell her sister wasn't feeling well by her face. She looked everywhere in her room to find the ring. She finally found it. When she took it in her hand, she felt all the weight of the memories overwhelming her. It had belonged to her _mother._ She didn't know anything about diamonds except that they sparkle. She went to her window and managed to put the ring in the sun. It sparkled. She couldn't believe her eyes... it was so beautiful, so pure. She was sure that, many years ago, her mother had stared at it just the way she was staring at it. She noticed an inscription inside the ring. She looked at it closer and read : _"Three words, eight letters... I'm yours & you're mine. C."_

C? It must be a boy... Or was her mother _gay_? No. In fact, who knew? What could "C" stand for? Carla? Carlos? Camille? Clément? How could she know? C was a lot of names' first letter, such as Charles!

"So you found it. Come downstairs with us. Tomorrow you'll have plenty of time to try to find her and make clear that you don't want us anymore..." Isabelle sadly said.

"Mom! Don't say that. I love you all, you're my family. I've just discovered I was adopted and I think it's normal to want to know my biological mother."

"Yeah, you're right. But just for today, please, pretend you don't know anything. I'll talk to your father tonight in bed and to Maxime tomorrow noon." Isabelle demanded.

"As you want. Give me one sec, I need to check something on the Internet."

Isabelle nodded and left the room. Cornelia had an idea. Maybe, if she googled "Cornelia rich C", she would find something. Unfortunately, she only found things about an Eleanor Waldorf bag named Cornelia and other stuff that weren't very useful.

_Tomorrow_, Cornelia thought. _Tomorrow, I'll go to Paris and visit every jeweler of the city. I will find a way to track her. I will go to the child adoption agency my parents went eighteen years ago. I may find something... I'm not going to give up... _

_Monaco_

"Blair, _mon_ _amour_, why aren't you ready? We're definitely going to be late to the Cristal Roderer's party." Louis said entering the room. Blair Grimaldi had been his for sixteen years but sometimes, when he looked at her, he was seeing a complete stranger. She was shining, even in her pink silk pajamas and her hair undone. She was stunning, even after all these years, but her eyes, when she turned her head to face him, were empty.

"What is going on?" Louis asked with concern. He frowned and sat down next to her.

"Nothing at all. I'm just a bit tired, I'm gonna get ready." she tried a smile but he wasn't fooled. Something was on his wife's mind but as always, she wouldn't let him figure it out. He stood up and exited the room to find his mother, the queen.

"Isn't she ready _yet?" _There was disdain in her voice that Louis couldn't bear but still, he knew she was right.

"Almost. She is not feeling well, I'm sorry, mother." he said. During those moments, he was feeling like a little boy who was being scolded by his mother.

"I've figured that one out, haven't you?"Louis didn't understand the innuendo. Actually, he didn't want to but his mother had been doing her best to prevent him from forgetting for the past eighteen years.

"I'm ready!" Blair shouted from her bedroom. Louis opened the door and welcomed her with a shy kiss on the cheek. She wasn't surprised. He hadn't touched her for the past ten years, since their son, Henry Grimaldi was born. "Shall we go now?" The queen said, glaring at Blair.

Blair winced but she didn't have time to swallow it in, Louis grabbed her hand and started to follow his mother towards the entrance of the palace where a limo was waiting for them. They all climbed in and the limo went on. "What's on your mind, dear?" Louis asked for the third time of the day.

"I told you, I'm just a bit tired, don't worry about me." She tried a smile and as always, she fooled him. The Queen glared at Blair, she loved her son more than anything and even though she perfectly understood Blair's grief, she only cared about Louis' happiness. He seemed happy in every way with his wife and their son, he wished she could give birth to a little girl with her brown curls and her cute deep dimples. Blair's answer had remained a "no" for the past years, she didn't want another child and the simple idea of giving birth to a girl sent chills through her frail body. He hadn't noticed she had lost pounds, too much, since Henry's birth.

The limo finally reached the front door of the party. Louis was the first to get out of the car, his mother and then Blair were next. Before climbing out, the Queen had to clear things with Blair for the umpteenth time. "I know it's been eighteen today since your daughter died but I thought things were settled: no more mourning in front of Louis, he doesn't have to suspect anything!" she muttered under her breath. Blair winced, she wanted to cry so bad. She wanted to tell the driver to pull off the brake and lead her out of there but she couldn't. She was the princess, she didn't own herself, she was her country's property. She had to stay for Henry, what kind of mother would she be if she put him through such as famous divorce? She remembered thanksgiving and birthdays without her father after her parents' divorce, she would hate herself if she did that to him.

Therefore, as she had done since her wedding, she would get out of the car, take Louis' arm and smile warmly at the photographers, because she was Blair Grimaldi, and Blair Grimaldi was a good wife and a respectable woman of the highest society of Monaco. Because Blair Waldorf had died many years ago in a white dress, when she said "I do" in front of the world. Because only a few were aware of that, and these were the ones who really knew her.

* * *

><p><strong>So? What did you think? I'll try to post ASAP and once again, feel free to tell me everything you think about it, I'm afraid my characters are a bit OOC.. I don't know. Next chapter takes place in the UES ;)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: First of all, thank you very much for all your reviews! I think I answered you all (If I forgot someone, I'm sorry!). Now, here is the second chapter. I'll post next week (chapter 3 is already written, I'm starting chapter 4). So, enjoy this chapter and do not forget to leave me a review to tell whatever you think! :) By the way, I'm still looking for a beta reader, if anyone's interested... **

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, Manhattan.<em>

"Gosh Dan! It's your son, get out of the bed and go ease him up. Now." Serena groaned under the light blue silk sheets.

"It's 3 am! You're his mother, damn God!" Dan muttered. He grabbed the sheets and pulled them to his side so Serena was uncovered.

"I freaking hate you, Daniel Humphrey." she growled as she got out of bed. Her hair was messy as her silk nightgown but when Dan opened an eye to watch her go, he couldn't hold back a smile. How could Serena Van der Woodsen have accepted to marry him, the ultimate outsider? She could have had Nate or any rich, handsome Prince of Manhattan or any other town but she chose him and you know what? He found it _awesome._ He loved her, more everyday, if it was even possible. He loved each part of her, her infinite long legs, her bright smile, her blue eyes, her blond hair, the way she taunted him, she teased him when he got home late in the night and she was eager when he was tired. He loved her and that was purely amazing.

"I love you too, S!" he shouted at her when she banged the door shut. She made a loud groan but he could almost see her wide smile. They got married ten years ago on the beach in the Hamptons with all their closest friends and family. Of course, Blair was maid of honor and she was incredible in a pale purple low-necked Valentino dress. B had been dreading this wedding for months because it would have been the first time in too many years that she'd see Chuck Bass again. But when he didn't show up, she expected herself to feel relieved, but she didn't. She wanted to see Chuck, to _check_ on him. She read the newspaper – she thought a lady should be aware of everything that's going on in the world -, she knew Bass Industries' stock markets were flourishing.

"Serena, why are you dressed? It's 3 am and -" Dan started when he saw Serena hurrying in their room, fully dressed and preoccupied.

"Chuck went by earlier in the night, Carole told him we were sleeping so he took off but he was smelling alcohol. Something must be wrong, I need to go to the Empire." she grabbed her purse and was about to leave when Dan stood up and forced her not to.

"When have you become so preoccupied by Chuck's behavior?" he asked.

"Why do you keep asking me that? You know the answer. Since Blair left. Since their baby died in a private clinic in Switzerland. Since Blair decided not to tell him anything about it." She sighed. She felt so guilty about Chuck. She thought he should have known about Blair's pregnancy but somehow, she was glad he hadn't. During two months after Blair's wedding, Chuck was wrecked. Nate took him on a trip from brothel to brothel all around the world but everyone knew that even though Chuck had let go Blair for her own sake, that it was kind of his choice, Chuck Bass would never be the same. What if he had learned he had a child with Blair? What if he had learned that said child was _dead?_ He surely wouldn't have survived it.

"Take care. I'll handle things with Blake 'till you're back. I might have to wake Emily up to help me. Gosh, that seven year old girl knows how to handle her sister way better than I do." Dan started to complain. Serena rolled her eyes and smiled. He smiled back, he made her smile and that was one of the best things he had done this morning.

"Of course. Go back to sleep." she kissed him goodbye and left their penthouse. She didn't want to worry Dan but everyday she feared she received the call that'd announce her Chuck's death. Blair was the only one who could bring him back on the right path when he was on the verge of falling off the cliff. Serena had given orders so he wasn't allowed to go alone – and drunk – on rooftops. She hated that role. She was becoming a mix of Blair and her mother, _ugh._

"Good morning, Mrs Humphrey." Cedric, one of Chuck's employees at the Empire, greeted her as she entered the lobby of the hotel. "Mr Bass came back to the Empire one hour ago, he smelled vodka."

"Thank you, Cedric. I'm going to check on him. Did he say anything in particular?" she asked him.

"He muttered the same old world." he sighed. Cedric had been working for Chuck for seventeen years and he had seen Serena, Nate and Dan rushing in many times to check on Chuck or to support him when he was at his worst.

"Blair." Serena concluded. She made a sad smile and rushed to the elevator. There was no time to waste. She went straight to Chuck's penthouse and she found him drunk on the couch.

"Chuck... What did you do this time?" she asked him. He opened one eye and sighed when he realized who was there. He groaned and held on to the bottle of scotch Serena was trying to take away.

"Leave me alone, sis." he growled.

"Yeah, so you can die on the floor of your penthouse." she said wryly.

"At least Blake and Emily will inherit something worthy of their beauty and social level." he spat. She breathed in, he was insulting Dan and she wouldn't have been able to bear it if he hadn't been so wrecked.

"Chuck, what happened? I thought you were starting to move on. What was her name? Elena? Ellen?" she pulled a strain of hair away of his eyes. He looked like a lost puppy. She suddenly remembered the times when he was the one to come to her rescue, with Blair and Nate. Those times were over. Their non-judging club had split out when Blair Waldorf died to come back to life as Blair Grimaldi.

"She is not happy. I saw her on television tonight, she was at a party with Louis and her stepmother. She is not happy, and it is all because of me. I let her go. I gave up and now, she is half the strong and powerful woman she used to be, as I'm half the man I used to be with her... I made a mistake, sis. She is not happy..." he was delirious. She tried to soothe him and to force him to go to bed but he wouldn't let her. He was fighting back.

"Chuck, it may have been a bad day for her. I heard Roman's in the hospital, she must be sick worried about him. She's fine, I swear it. Now go to bed, get some sleep and we'll talk about it tomorrow. I'll call Eleanor and then Blair if you want me to. I have a rough day tomorrow, please, Chuck!" she pleaded.

"_Rough_ day? What do you have to do? Fly to Hollywood and play the idiotic blond you are? What an awful life, sis!" he spat out wryly. _That_ time, she was hurt. She slapped him in the face and took off. Who was he to talk to her this way? She came here to _help!_

"Burn in hell, motherchucker basshole!" she shouted from the elevator. It didn't hurt his feelings. He smiled. Yeah, he was a motherchucker basshole, one of a kind. But he would always remain _her_ motherchucker basshole. Serena was wrong, he had seen it in Blair's eyes, she wasn't happy. Since when had she gotten so _thin?_ If he treated her wrong... Chuck swore he would find out the truth because it didn't really matter whether he was happy, but her happiness was on top of his priority.

_Paris_

"I'm sorry, miss. I'm not allowed to tell you who bought that ring. I'd like to help you, but I really don't know." The umpteenth jeweler told Cornelia. She had heard that speech like a thousand times, each time it broke a tiny piece of hope in her heart. That ring was her only heirloom from her biological mother who had made everything she could so that she'd never be found. Cornelia had spent the last four days going jewelry to jewelry, she begged the woman at the center of adoption to show her her file. She did, it had been emptied. By who? That was the one zillion dollars question.

"I get it. Thanks for your help." she said. The jeweler smiled to her and smiled back. Keep smiling, keep pretending. Who were her parents? Why did they abandon her? She couldn't believe a woman who received such a ring wasn't loved enough by someone to accept the fact she had a daughter from another man.

"Hey you!" Cornelia heard somebody scream behind her as she walking down the streets. She turned around to see a young girl running after her on high heels.

"Did I forget something in the jewelry?" Cornelia asked, because she couldn't figure out any other reason why that girl would be chasing after her.

"No. My boss saw at the jewelry. She saw the ring. She told to run after you to tell you to dig deeper. The ring is a Harry Winston, she'd seen such a ring many years ago, in New York." the girl told Cornelia.

"What's her name? What's your name? How does she-"

"I'm not sure I'm allowed to say that. She just told me to run after you." the girl cut her off. She looked slightly embarrassed. "But," she added "If you can be at the Ritz in two hours, you might be able to see her. If you do, we've never had this conversation. I love my job, do you get it?"

"Of course, I'll be there. Thanks." The girl nodded and ran back to the jewelry. Cornelia couldn't believe her ears... She might be on the right track after all. She also couldn't believe her eyes, how _could_ that young thin girl walk and _run_ on such high heels?

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: The Queen may not like Blair, and even though Cornelia may be in the right track, her path can't be easy.<strong>

**Can't wait to read from you ;) (I know some of you added my story to their alert, please, leave a review, I'd appreciate that a lot! ;))**

**Nyah-Cullen**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is the new chapter! I had troubles writing the end of it... I don't think it is my best chapter. I'm not that much into writing Isabelle/Cornelia, I don't know why. But, I love writing Chuck and Blair (apart, for now, but soon together!). You may recognize the character I introduce to you in the beginning of the chapter, I may use others referencies/characters from the same TV show... I'm in love with it (and so much other TV shows.. lmfao). Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Monaco<em>.

Katerina Petrova was a Bulgarian socialite of the highest order. Her family was as old as Bulgaria itself and she was a hell of a woman. Her skin looked like silk, her brown hair flooded her shoulders like an untamed river and her eyes shone in the sun like a Tiger's eye gemstone. Pretty was understatement and as soon as she arrived in town, each girl in the principality felt electricity running through their body. A little bit of _competition._

She surely could have walked on heels higher than her, she almost did as she entered the Palace. The Queen was immediately warned of her presence and she waited for her in the guest room. Blair should have been there too but the Queen wanted to take care of the matter on her own. Both of the women were wearing black suit, as if they were mourning something... Or someone.

"Miss Petrova, welcome to our country. I hope you'll enjoy your time here. Did you have a nice trip?" the Queen asked as she stood up from the velvety couch she had been sitting on.

"Very agreeable, your majesty. Let's not waste time with useless civilities. I dare say we have important things to discuss." Katerina said. The Queen winced, she was quite not used to people talking to her that way, but she kind of liked it because she liked honesty and straightness. She invited the young girl to sit on the couch next to hers and they sat down. A maid brought coffee, tea and cookies but none of them wanted to eat.

"My son told me about you. He thinks you're a strong and very capable woman, but I need to see whether he was mistaken. Besides, there are other subjects, more private and delicate ones, we need to discuss." the Queen.

"Such as?" Katerina asked.

"We don't want to make the same mistake twice. You'll need to prove me three things: you have to be as strong and smart as my son describes you, but you have to be in love with him and a virgin." the Queen whispered loud enough to be heard only from Katerina. She blushed a bit, she wasn't used to talk about those subjects, and she felt a hint of guilt about that conversation. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all, your majesty." Katerina whispered back. A wide smile spread on her face. She had always dreamed of becoming a princess and then, of course, a queen, but she had never thought her dreams may actually come true...

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>.

Cornelia got early at the meeting at the Ritz. She had had to play smart to get in, people wouldn't let her in because she didn't look like a model or a fashion designer. She pretended to be some designer's daughter, she started to yell and to threaten to make her family and their friends never come back there. It worked, it was as if she had been made to manipulate people. Well, now she had to try to find the girl she met on the streets. When you see how hard it was to get in the Ritz, you have all the rights to expect only a few people in there. Well, you're wrong. It was crowded with model taller than the Metropolitan Building and people running everywhere, yelling, shrieking some stuff wasn't cut the right way, that a model had taken two pounds and it just didn't fit.

Lost was an euphemism to describe Cornelia's feelings. There was no face she could recognize – except the ones she had seen in the magazines -, she looked for the girl for one hour but couldn't reach to find her.

"Holy shit, guess I'm doomed to the end. She didn't even give her fucking name..." Cornelia muttered under her breath. She knew she was being rude but she didn't care, she had lost her path to truth, but she wouldn't give up... Not now, not so close...

"Hey you!" Cornelia turned around. The person sounded like the girl – she really had to ask her her name because she couldn't keep on calling her "the girl".

"You! I've been for hours! Where were you? Where's your boss? And, you gotta tell me your name." Cornelia chuckled in the end but she was pretty nervous.

"I'm Chris. I asked her whether she'd like to talk to you and she said yes but not here, her boss is there and she wants to keep her job as much as I want to keep mine. Give me your phone number, I'll contact you and we'll schedule a meeting."

They exchanged their number and Cornelia left the place. She was feeling uncomfortable but not that much, she felt so small, she wished she had been wearing her Louboutin. Those shoes... They made her feel amazing, as if she were someone worthy of the world's best things. Suddenly she realized she wanted to be part of that world. She wanted to be the one people – important ones – look to when they needed advices. She had always dreamed she'd meet her charming prince, but since her birthday, she had been having another dream : a fairy godmother. What if her mother was there? What if she was that tall woman with a bright smile? What if she was that one, perched on heels higher than her?

On exiting the place, her phone rang. _Maman_. She answered. Isabelle was worried about her daughter, she had barely seen her for the past days. Cornelia felt guilt, she still loved Isabelle as her mother and she was hurting her now.

"You're still my mother, you know? I love you, I do. I just want to find them, to understand, you know?" she said on the phone. She wished she was with her now so she could see her face and soothe her in a better way.

"I do. I fear the truth is quite ugly. I told you I thought your mother had been raped by your biological father? I don't want you to get hurt, Cornelia." she told her.

"I know. I'm coming home right now. Maybe you can make some hot chocolate – even if the weather is hot – and we could talk, like old times? Which are, by the way, not that old." When Isabelle heard that, she smiled. Her little girl was back but she had the weird feeling that nothing would be the same after all. She thought she should have told her before, she should have forced Yvette to be more a grandmother to Cornelia so she wouldn't have suspected anything. Everything could have been different and then, perhaps better? She was really scared of losing her. They were her biological parents... But she was the one who calmed her down when she had nightmares, she taught her to walk, to talk... _She_ was her mother. That scared girl she saw eighteen years _wasn't_.

"Sure. I'm waiting for you!" They hung up. Cornelia stared at her phone for two seconds and tucked it in her jeans' pocket. She headed to the subway, she prayed for it not to be to crowded, even though she knew it would be. Yet, when she got in, it was as crowded as she expected it to be. She could breath!

When Cornelia eventually got home, she breathed in the smell of chocolate and smiled. She was _home_. Chocolate, marshmallows and macaroons – she could have sworn her mother had bought some. She threw her bag on the couch and rushed to the kitchen. The smile of the woman she found there was the closest thing to heaven she ever knew. She suddenly felt overwhelmed by guilt. She _hurt_ her. Worse, she _was_ hurting her. She was the woman who brought her up, who taught her everything, how could she have ignored that for the past days?

"I'm sorry mom," Cornelia said as she ran to hug her as tight as she could. "You know I will always love you, right? I know I already told you so but I need you to understand it. Whatever happens, whoever my biological parents are, wherever I'll have to go in the next years, I won't stop loving you, Daddy and Maxime. You are my family, I grew up with you all, I became who I am thanks to you. I'm not going to forget that." Cornelia could hear Isabelle's sobs. She knew the day would come when her baby became an adult, she had just hoped that day would come later rather than sooner.

"I know. Daniel and I, we both know that. You're the one who has to tell Maxime, please, play it nice, I know you will but... He doesn't need to suffer. I couldn't tell him, I tried but I can't. He loves you so much, Cornelia." Isabelle told her as she was soaking Cornelia's shirt with tears. The young woman slowly pulled away and kissed her on the cheek.

"Of course. Now, let's talk about things more... Enjoyable. Gossip?" Cornelia grinned and her mother beamed her a bright smile. She switched on the TV on E!entertainment and they started chatting and gossiping about celebrities, drinking their chocolates and eating macaroons.

"Looking at her! Isn't she too skinny to be an icon?" Isabelle said.

"Sure. Blair Grimaldi is... Way too thin. But she is so pretty. Look at her dress, _Prada_. She is so stylish, I could die for her dressing." Cornelia took a sip of her chocolate and focused on the TV. Blair was smiling at the crowd, but she was also clutching to Louis in a way that showed her weakness. She walking like a model on the red carpet, but her legs were shaking as if they weren't strong enough to support her weight.

"She used to be less skinny, you know? I watched her wedding on the TV, eighteen or seventeen years ago, she was stunning in her white dress – must have been couture, you would have recognized the label." Isabelle started. "I read things about her in newspapers, she was a new yorker, a queen of beauty who was bound to become a shark in courts."

"And then she met Louis Grimaldi and became a housewife. How awful. Don't let me give up my studies for a crown or a man." Cornelia spat. Isabelle stared at her. She agreed even though she didn't say a word, she would have liked Cornelia to find love, but not the same love as Blair. True love. If she had met her, Isabelle would have advised her to get a divorce or do something to be happier because, hell, that sweet girl looked so sad!

"She might not have had a choice." Isabelle muttered.

"Yeah. She was the queen of the Upper East Side, she was studying at Columbia, her mother was Eleanor Waldorf, she was rich, and yet, she didn't have the choice to marry whoever she wanted? Do you really I'm that stupid?" Cornelia exclaimed.

"You're right. But we only know what we read or hear about her. Life may not be that easy in those rich neighborhoods." Isabelle said. Cornelia shrugged and ate a macaroon. She didn't want to argue with her mother. Still, she was sure Blair could have won over the world if she had married the right prince and not that useless boy.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you think? I can't wait to hear any of your remarks. To the ones who asked me in their reviews about Blair's son Henry, I wrote BlairHenry in chapter 5 :) By the way (I'm sorry, I'm telling everyone I meet/know cause I'm too happy), I'm done with high school! lmfao.**

**Next chapter : next thursday :)**

**Nyah-Cullen**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, 3 reviews? I have to say a huge thank you to the ones who reviewed my story and another one to these who read it. Maybe you didn't review because you didn't like last chapter? If so, please tell me! So, here is a new chapter. This one is one of my favorite because I had to write about Chuck and we got to learn a dark truth about Cornelia's adoption... Well, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side<em>

"Mister Bass? Doctor Stein is waiting for you. You can meet him in his office." the secretary told Chuck. He stood up from his chair and walked to the office. He was shaking. Nate had forced him into going to the doctor. He had picked one randomly – actually, he had picked the best one in Manhattan. Chuck hated doctors as much as he loved alcohol and women. He had been having stomachache and he had lost pounds. He wasn't feeling well but he knew alcohol could do that, he was used to being nauseous. After all, he had been drinking since the age of fifteen.

"Good afternoon, mister Bass," Dr Stein greeted him with a handshake. " please, take a seat. We need to talk."

Both of the men sat down on each side of the desk. Chuck wasn't used to sit on that side of a desk, he was the boss, the one who had the comfortable chair and the power. Now, he was the patient, under the doctor's mercy. He hated that.

"I don't like what your results say, I have a few theories about what kind of disease might affect you but we have to do further examinations, do you understand? Last month, you didn't answer when we talked about your alcoholism, that's why I called your friend, Mr Archibald, who brought you here. He told me you have the habit of drinking a lot." Dr Stein paused. Chuck didn't know what to expect. He had always been drinking, he never had a problem with alcohol.

"So what?" Chuck asked, annoyed by the silence between the two men.

"I'd like to perform a liver biopsy on you, if you agree. Your alcoholism might have injured your liver, I just want to check on it so we can focus on the sick part of your body. I need you to sign up some papers so we can do it. The sooner, the better, mister Bass." Dr Stein told him. Chuck breathed in and let the info sink in. The doctor tried to be as reassuring as possible but Chuck knew how to see beneath the surface, he was sick and his disease must not be the kind that could easily be healed.

"Show me your papers." He said. Dr Stein smiled. Chuck remained cold, bad news never came up alone. What should he be expecting? Blair's pregnancy which would lead her to death if she carried on becoming thiner? One of his relatives' death? Losing the few friends he had left? Chuck suddenly started to fear the future, what if he ended up alone with all his money in his golden jail? He remembered the time when his penthouse was a place full of their laughter, crawling under her clothes and her stuff, when he was overwhelmed by her scent whenever he stepped in. That time ended a long time ago but still, he was reluctant to forget. He was sinking down without her, enjoying each dream, each hallucination that faked a world where they were reunited.

"Which disease do you suspect? " Chuck asked once he had signed up all the papers the doctor had given him.

"Liver disease."

"What kind of liver disease?"

"Cancer or cirrhosis. But I could be wrong and it could have nothing to do with your liver. You never know when it comes to the human body, it is such a complicate engine. You shouldn't worry, mister Bass." Dr Stein told him.

"Yeah. The cure?"

"Transplantation. But you'd have to be sober for at least six months and yet, we'd have to find a donor which would be hard if you haven't any blood related family who would volunteer because of your past of drinker. Transplantation centers prefer to give organs to people who used to lead a healthy life because they wouldn't be tempted to give in alcoholism and waste their second chance." Chuck's face became a mask of coldness. He nodded and stood up from his chair. He coldly shook Dr Stein's hand and almost ran from his office. He yelled at the poor secretary to call his own secretary to schedule an appointment for the biopsy.

When he entered his limo, he had to unwrap his tie and his shirt, he could barely breath. There was still a possibility he didn't have a liver cancer or cirrhosis, but his instinct wouldn't trust that one. He was about to pour himself a glass of scotch but the bottle fell out of his hands and the liquid spread on the floor. _Don't drink_, he told himself. _Don't drink or it could get worse, you could die, you __could... Who cares now? You're Chuck Bass, and __**no one**__ is left to care._

Chuck doesn't do _"crying". _He cried when he lost his father. He cried when he lost Blair. But now, he cried because he is losing the fight for life. What did he live for? Why was he still alive after all those years, all the pain he had caused? He deserved to die. Charles Bartholomew Joseph "Chuck" Bass deserved to _die._

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

"Should I call the girl to schedule a meeting?" Chris asked her boss.

"Nope. Forget everything you saw or heard today, okay? Because if you tell anyone what happened, I swear you'll get fired and you will never be able to find a job in fashion, did I make myself understood?" Her boss said, staring at her in the eyes.

"I don't what events you're talking about, Miss Humphrey. Do you want me to get you a coffee?" Chris muttered, scared to death by her boss' threat.

"Get yourself one and make sure no one disturbs me. I need to talk to Eleanor." Jenny said. Chris nodded and went away, sick worried about her job but still curious about Cornelia.

Jenny sighed. She had been working for Eleanor Waldorf for the last fifteen years, since Blair officially told her mother she had forgiven Little J for everything that had happened between her and Chuck. She had become Eleanor's right arm thanks to her amazing skills for fashion and leadership – she didn't become Blair's heir at Constance for her kindness and her mercy. Yet, she still feared Eleanor and what she was about to tell her would put her in a lot of danger.

"Eleanor? Can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked her while she was drawing next season's new scarves. "In private." she added when Eleanor made a sign that showed that Jenny could talk.

Eleanor put down her pencil and they went silently to her office. They sat down on the chairs on each side of Eleanor's desk and she started staring expectantly at Jenny. "So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Yesterday I was at the jewelry, as you asked me to. I ran into a girl who was asking around about her parents. She was adopted eighteen years ago by a French couple and the only clue she's got is a Harry Winston ring on which there is written "_Three words, eight letters... I'm yours & you're mine. C_." Does it remind you of something?" Eleanor froze. Of course, she remembered. She swallowed and the silence fell between the two women. Jenny had become too powerful for Eleanor to shoo her away like a gnat or smash her against the floor with her heels. She was still a blond-haired round-faced girl with infinite legs, but she was a master in manipulation. She knew secrets about everyone and from times to times, she dropped one of them to serve her own interests. Without any conscious of it, she had become Blair while the true Blair was fading away.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jenny. Is this some kind of a joke?" Eleanor could hardly fake surprise and belief because what Little J had just dropped was a nuclear bomb in Eleanor's brain.

"So it's only a pure coincidence if that girl, Cornelia by the way, Blair's middle name if I remember correctly, looks exactly like Blair – and Chuck." Jenny peered at Eleanor who didn't want to meet J's gaze.

"Pure coincidence. Now leave my office, I have work to do." And Eleanor had gotten back her mask and her calm. Yet, Jenny could feel the tension in her voice after all the years she had spent by her side. Eleanor started to read some paper on her desk and faked to ignore Jenny.

"Two decades ago, when I was too much into Nate, I used to sneak into Chuck's penthouse to see him and I liked to pry. One day, I found Chuck's locker and the code was easy to find : Blair's birthday. There were many things in there, including Chuck and Blair's engagement ring. I opened the box and examined it. He loved her so much, I was craving for somebody to love me that much. That may have been one of the reasons why I slept with him that night. Now, Eleanor, tell me the truth. Face it." Jenny said. Eleanor took her face in her hands and for the first time, she showed a sign of weakness. She never meant to do what she did, all she wanted was the best for everyone but that baby's face had been haunting her for eighteen years. Everything was coming back to her.

"Nineteen years ago, Blair slept one last time with Chuck. She got pregnant because she had forgotten her pills. She was against abortion, that baby was half her, half Chuck, she loved him too much. I talked to the Queen, Louis' mother. She was ready to force Blair to undergo abortion, I had to do something." Eleanor paused. She went to the bar and took a glass of white whine. Her throat was too dry to talk. Blair used to hate Jenny, so why was she telling her all that? Maybe because, as an outsider, she could figure out what to do. "We hid the pregnancy from Louis – which wasn't hard, poor foolish boy. Blair spent the last three months and a half with Serena, Eliza, Roman's niece, and I in a center in Switzerland. When the time came, a little girl was born. She looked like Blair when she was born. Harold and I knew Blair would have never given the baby up and the Queen would have never accepted it. We payed the doctor to tell her the baby died a few minutes after her birth. Then, Eliza and I flew to Paris where we had found a family willing to adopt that little girl. No one knows the truth except you, Harold, Roman, Eliza and I."

The silence fell between them. Jenny couldn't believe her ears. "Oh. My. Gosh." she whispered, looking in shock at Eleanor who seemed to have become ten years older in a minute.

* * *

><p><strong>So? Was it what you expected? What did you think? I don't know when I am able to post a new chapter, some issues I have to deal with first and my mind is not quite into writing this fic, sorry. Anyway, reviews are my sunshine! :) (It's raining in France...)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : I'm so sorry for the time I took to post that chpater, I'll try to make it up to you! :) What an answer to the previous chapter! Thank you very much everyone! This one is shorter than usual, I'm sorry, but I wanted to end it on a sad note. Don't worry, it'll get better :) I hope you'll like that chapter as much as the previous one and please, do tell me what you thought of it :) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Paris <em>

"Harold, we have to do something. Jenny Humphrey came to me last week, I had to tell her the truth. Cornelia is looking for her family – us." Eleanor said to Harold. They were both sitting on her couch, alone in the living room. Cyrus had business to deal with in the center of Paris and Roman was wherever you could find some couture.

"Tell me everything you know." She did tell him everything and then silence fell. Harold needed time to think about the best strategy to adopt. He missed the granddaughter he never had the opportunity to meet more than he should, and it had ached each day of his life since her birth in his stomach.

"Besides, Serena called me, she's worried about Blair's health. Chuck noticed it first but when you take a closer look at her, she's way thiner than she used to be. I fear that-" she carried on.

"I know," Harold cut her off. "let's hope it's not. What do you want to do?"

"I'm going to call Blair to check on her and I may go to Monaco. Jenny won't say a word because I believe she understood our reasons, I'll talk to her later this week. What about Cornelia? We can't stop her, we can't talk to her. I don't know what to do." Eleanor said. She was nervously fidgeting with a bracelet Henry made her for her birthday. She blamed herself because whenever she looked at Henry's angelic face, she saw Blair's and suddenly, she saw Cornelia's. Henry had an elder sister, she could have watched over him, she could have been here for him during his mom's long naps.

"We are not going to do anything. Easiest way, I guess." Eleanor nodded, she agreed with Harold even though she had a bitter taste in her mouth. That Cornelia girl was her granddaughter after all – and she had dreamed to have a granddaughter so as to dress her like a doll. Eleanor Waldorf had never been a loving mother, she didn't always make the right choices for her daughter, she hadn't always been here for her when she had needed her but inside of her hard shell, she loved them with all her heart.

"Allo?"

"Louis? It's Eleanor. I'd like to talk to Blair, please." Eleanor said. She was surprised Blair didn't pick up her phone.

"She's taking a nap. I'll tell her to call you back, if you want." Louis sounded as polite as ever. Even if Eleanor had liked him a lot when he appeared in Blair's life because he seemed saner than Chuck, his politeness and all started to get on her nerves.

"Of course. Tell her I'll come to pay you all a visit soon. It's been ages since the last time I've seen my grandson and my daughter. Take care, Louis." She hung up. She thought she had started to loathe him the day Cornelia was born, when she saw Blair's sad face. If he hadn't come to New York to chase after her, she would have come back to Chuck eventually, or to somebody else. The problem, when you marry a Prince, is that it isn't easy to get a divorce and in Blair's mind, a divorce is a failure. A few months, a few years with another who wouldn't have proposed and she would have come back to Chuck, or she would have just stayed with him and Cornelia and maybe, they'd live a happy life.

"Don't be a bitch to him, she loves him." Harold said to Eleanor as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not even sure she still loved him after Cornelia's birth." she said in a grim voice. Harold didn't comment because he couldn't agree more. Blair had had Chuck's baby in her belly for nine months, she had grown to love that baby, to make plans for her, for her little threesome – Chuck, Louis and her. She had wanted nothing more than everybody's happiness, that's how she ended up a ghost of herself.

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, Manhattan<em>

"Serena!" somebody shouted as Serena Humphrey was walking down the streets of New York. She turned around, expecting some paparazzi, but saw a man she had loved and still loved as a brother.

"Nate! What are you doing in New York? Where're Raina and the kids?" she beamed a smile and it felt like the whole world was lightened up. Nate smiled too. They were the golden kids of the Upper East Side, the dream of many persons. She was stunning, tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed and well... He was the same, for a man. Together, they had stood for the American dream, the perfect couple with its perfect flaws. But the time when they had sex in a bar was over.

"Nice to see you too, S. Raina, Angie and Taylor stayed in Chicago. What I came for is something quite sad. I have to talk to you, that's why I came down here. Is there somewhere we can talk, in private?" he murmured. Serena winced and her smile faded. Nate wasn't the kind of guy to worry for nothing and if he had traveled from Chicago to New York to talk to her, it must have been pretty important.

"Sure. Let's go to my penthouse, up there." she showed him the entrance of the palace where she was living with Dan and her daughters. "You're lucky, I was going on a shopping trip and I wouldn't have been home until seven pm." Nate faked a smile of approval but didn't say a word. They got in the place and took the elevator in silence. Serena opened her door and let Nate get in. He didn't take the time to carefully look at the magnificent place but followed Serena to the living room where they sat on the same couch.

"So, what's on your mind?" Serena finally broke the silence.

"Chuck. I sent him to a friend of mine who is a doctor because he was complaining about some pain in his belly and that he wasn't feeling well. I thought it was nothing, the usual sobering pain but it lasted more than usual. Two months ago, my friend called me to ask about Chuck's past as an alcoholic. He didn't tell me anything. I called him over and over but he wouldn't say a word so I made some research." He paused. He pinched his nose between his fingers and sighed. Serena started to fear the worst about Chuck's health.

"Nate, don't stop. I want to know the whole story." she said. She sounded a bit threatening.

"Chuck may have a liver disease. If so, he needs a liver transplantation and to be compatible, you need to be from his closest family, or lucky. I came to New York to tell you and to go through exams to check my own compatibility with him. If you want to do the same, it may be useful to his survival. I think that experience would show him how frail his health is and maybe, he would stop drinking that much." Nate said. Serena held back a shriek. Chuck was sick. She was sure of that. Her Chuck, her stepbrother, the love of her best friend's life was sick.

"Are you sure? Don't you think we can make something to convince your friend to tell us the truth to help him best?" Serena worried.

"I don't know, that's why I'm here. I want to see him in person. Come with me, we can convince him. Wear something sexy, he really likes women, he's a forever bachelor." Serena smiled and headed to her dressing where she put on a small dress and her favorite Louboutin. She took a deep breath as she exited her room to join Nate who was waiting for her. She didn't want to believe it but a voice in her told her Chuck was really sick and no money, no scheme would save him.

* * *

><p><em>Monaco<em>

"Mommy! It's time to wake up!" Henry said as he jumped on his mother's bed. Blair opened her sleepy eyes and smiled when she saw her son's face. He looked exactly like her, only his eyes were Louis's. She opened her arms and he hurried in to cuddle on her lap. She hugged him as tight as her strength allowed her to.

"How are you, sweet pea? What do you want to do today?" she asked him. Her voice was still sleepy but she tried to sound as warm as possible. Henry was suspecting something was wrong with his mother's health but he didn't say a word about it. He loved his mother more than anyone in this world and when he saw his father with that tall and dark woman the other day, he started to be scared for the future of his family.

"Chess?" he proposed.

"Sure. Go get the chessboard, I'll get dressed and we'll play in the garden if you want." Henry smiled and headed to his room. Blair stood up and walked to the bathroom. Her legs were shaking, she should have eaten something this morning but she wasn't hungry. Those times, she was never hungry.

She closed the door behind her and stared at herself, naked, in the mirror. She had lost pounds, you could almost see her ribs. Her breasts were like a prepubescent's. She wanted to cry but her tears were dry, she couldn't. She had everything she had ever dreamed about. She lived in a fairytale and many girls and women were jealous of her. She married a Prince. She had a wonderful son. She lived in a palace. She was bound to become Queen of Monaco. She had as much clothes as she wanted. She was friend with all the it girls and it boys in that world.

But there was no fire burning in her anymore. No passion. No hatred. No _Chuck._

* * *

><p><strong>So? Next chapter, you'll get more UES, Chuck and some Monaco :)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: A new chapter! I post today because I'm going on vacation and I won't be able to post before august, 22nd. I hope you will like this chapter and I'll answer to your reviews when I get back to my home, I'll answer to all of you :)**

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side<em>

"Shit, Nate! I can't tell you, I can't. It's my job to keep secret what's happening in this room between my patients and I." Stein said.

"Yeah but your patient is my friend and he has a strong tendency to suicide when his world starts falling apart. If he's sick, he won't tell us and we won't be able to help us." Nate argued.

"Besides, you don't want to be held responsible by us, his family and influent friends, for his suicide, do you?" Serena asked in a seductive voice and she bent a little more on Stein's desk so as to expose in a better way her throat.

"Fuck. Alright. Chuck went through a series of exams last month and I got his results three days ago. What it says suggests that he has a liver cirrhosis. He needs a liver transplant, you can both go through exams to check your compatibility if you want, but I don't think it'll work. Tell anyone what I've just told you and my career is over." Stein said.

"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone. Serena will talk to Chuck and he'll end up telling her – as always. When can we make the tests?" Nate asked. Serena was shaking on the chair next to his. Now Stein had told them the truth, her seductive and warm smile had faded away and tears were coming to her eyes. Nate grabbed her hand and she squeezed his hand back, happy he was there.

"The day after tomorrow. Be there together at 3 pm, don't be late. I trust you not to tell anyone, and to support your friend, he will need it." The three of them stood up and they shook Stein's hand before exiting the room. Nate was holding Serena's hand, she was holding her tears back. She wouldn't cry in front of all those people. She wouldn't cry because she had no right to, she wasn't sick, she was happy. Nate let go of her hand and put an arm around her waist. She put her hand on his shoulder as they were walking to her limo.

As soon as the door of the limo was closed behind them, Serena burst into tears into Nate's arms. He was smelling like old times, still wearing the same perfume. Just like old times, she was attracted by him but what she wanted - more than kissing him or having sex with him in the back of a limo – was to go back to those old times, when she flying from Dan to Nate to Dan to Nate, when Chuck and Blair were arguing so hard before realizing the truth : they were in love. She wanted to go back and be there the day Blair met Louis at the Musée d'Orsay and take her away from there. She wanted to hear Blair laugh louder than ever, to see Chuck smiling genuinely seeing his wife and their kids playing. She wanted to change the past to create a better present.

"Nate, we should have done something... Why did she marry him?" she whispered.

"We will never know. It's too late, Blair would never accept a divorce, she would see it as a sign of failure and you know how she is, _never_ fail." He sighed. Serena was right.

* * *

><p><em>Monaco<em>

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Blair said as she entered the Great Hall of the palace where her four parents waited for her.

"Louis didn't tell you? Eleanor called you last month and he picked up. Well, at least we made you a good surprise, Blair bear." Harold said. He took his daughter in his arms. Blair was alone with Henry, Louis was working and the Queen was nowhere to be found. She was holding Henry's tiny hand. He knew his grandparents but he had grown to fear the tall and impressive Eleanor.

"Say hello to your grandpas and grandma, Henry they won't eat you alive. Well, grandma might but don't worry, grandpa Cyrus will stop her." Blair joked. Everyone laughed except Henry who was hiding behind his mother's legs. Her smile started to fade. In ten years, Henry must have seen his grandparents less than thirty times and what about her best friends? He knew Serena, Nate and Dan only because she told him about them. She never talked about Chuck.

"Come on, Henry, they're your family. You may not remember them well but I assure you, they saw you before a lot of people when you were born." she pleaded. Henry eventually let go of his mother and went to say hello to his grandparents. Each one of them had a present for the ten-year old boy and the moment they gave them to him, they had won him over.

"Can I go show 'em to Daddy, mom?" the small boy asked. Blair nodded and ordered that room were made and that their things were brought there. Then, she took them to her private salon. She was walking ahead of them, so they could admire how thin she had gotten. The four of them exchanged looks of concern. She had let the high heels in her dressing to wear flats and she was almost stumbling at each step. Her hair wasn't made, it was like she had hardly brushed them and made a ponytail.

"Blair, what have you eaten this morning?" Cyrus asked as they were still walking in the corridor.

"Oh I wasn't hungry, we had a dinner yesterday evening and I ate too much. I'll eat more at lunch." Blair turned around and smiled. Cyrus nodded and she focused back on the way to her salon. Cyrus took Eleanor's hand and squeezed it. He knew what she was thinking, what they were all thinking. Where were they when she started falling? Why hadn't they done anything? The once upon a time Queen B of the Upper East Side had become a ghost, skinnier than ever.

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

"Fuck, Maxime! Did you steal my iPod again? I need it! I'm going back to my apartment and I want my iPod, you evil little brother!" Cornelia snapped. The door of Maxime's room flew open and he stared at his sister with round eyes. Cornelia was packing her things, the week-end was over and she had to get back to her studio, next to her university.

"I'm not even your brother, so you know what. Besides, I don't know where your fucking iPod is, _Cornelia. _So now, please, shoo!" he said. He went back to the magazine he was reading.

Cornelia groaned. She scanned the room to find her yellow iPod laying on his desk. She rushed to it, took it and stood in front of Maxime's bed. "So, you don't know where it is, right? You, idiot. I may not be your sister in blood but still, we were raised together and according to Mom and Dad, I'm allowed to scold you where you deserve it. So be careful, small boy." she said with a threatening look. Maxime didn't even dare to look up. He wasn't scared at all, he loved it when Cornelia was pissed, it was so much more fun! He loved Cornelia, she was his big sister and he had been fearing to lose her to some strange biological family since the day she told him the truth about her birth.

"Don't be a bitch to your brother, he's young and he doesn't have any sense of private property." Isabelle said, leaning against Cornelia's room's entrance.

"I know, but we both know he loves to scolded. That kid is like really weird. Your son, not my fault nor my concern to make him normal!" Cornelia said. She put some pants and bras in her bag, she didn't want to forget anything useful for the following week in her studio. Two months had passed since the last time she saw Chris. She never heard of the girl again, she tried to call but she never called her back.

"I'm afraid you're right. Are you ready to go? Is _Ivan_ coming to get you, again?" Isabelle held back a chuckle when Cornelia winced at the name of the man.

"Wh-What? How do you know his name?" Cornelia asked.

"Your sneaky brother. So, tell me everything about him." Isabelle closed the door behind her and sat on the bed. Cornelia sighed and sat next to her.

"Well, he's a year younger than me – he's like super smart. He speaks like five languages fluently, he's handsome, tall, brown-haired and gray-eyed. I think he likes – well, he does like me because he told me and kissed me the other day. I don't know if we're dating or not but... I don't want to rush things. We may talk about it in the car later tonight so, I'll know." Cornelia blushed. She had had boyfriends in the past, but none of them was like Ivan. She really liked him, he made her laugh and she could easily talk to him. She was feeling just right with him.

"Oh my, you're in love my dear. I'm glad to hear it and I guess he's a nice man according to his profile – thank your evil sneaky brother again." Isabelle said. They laughed and Cornelia thought that maybe, she was happier with her adoptive family than she would ever be with any other biological – and surely twisted – family.

"Yeah.. Fuck, he's there, he's waiting for me," she said when she heard a bip from her phone. "I have to go." She kissed her parents goodbye and shouted a "goodbye" to her brother and then hurried to Ivan's car.

"Hi," she said as she shut the door behind her, "thanks for coming get me today." She was feeling awkward, should she kiss him? Should she pretend nothing happened at all?

"You're welcome." he told her with a bright smile. He leaned toward her, tilting his head on his right and Cornelia got the message. They weren't going to pretend at all. She closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. His lips were soft and warm against hers and once again, she was feeling she was right where she belonged, with Ivan, in his arms.

"Let's go home, I think we have a conversation to have and to end." he said, half laughing when their lips parted and he saw a hint of desire in her eyes.

"Oh yeah." she smiled. She wanted him. She told her she didn't want to rush things but her heart and her body wouldn't follow that wise recommendation. She could say it, she was in love with Ivan and that was the only thing she cared about.

But as the renewed Gossip Girl would say "Wait and C, because the way you pronounce I in English may sound like "Aïe", the French for ouch."

* * *

><p><strong>So? What did you think? Next chapter takes place three months later during Christmas Holidays, when all families are supposed to be reunited... ;)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Well, I guess you guys didn't like this chapter very much according to the number reviews... Anyway, I'd like to thank wrighthangal for reviewing every chapter, no matter what happens. I hope you'll like this chapter more than the last and tell me about it. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side<em>

Everyone was there, at Chuck's penthouse, for Christmas. Serena had taken care of the decoration, Nate bought the tree, Lily brought the food and of course, the drinks were provided by Chuck. Smiles were hanging on each face and if anyone who didn't know them had entered the room, he or she would have thought they were truly happy and carefree. Wrong idea.

Chuck hadn't had even a drop of alcohol for the last four months and he was on the edge of breaking. He had deep purple circles around his eyes and his face was paler than usual, he was sick and he couldn't face the idea of dying if he didn't get a liver transplant, _soon_. Each person of the room had gone through compatibility exams but no one was compatible. Serena had wanted to call Chuck's family, the Basses, but Lily advised her not to - the Basses weren't what you could call an united and caring family. So, they were waiting and enjoying every seconds as if it was their last with Chuck Bass, the womanizer.

"So, how is he dealing with the whole cirrhosis thing?" Raina asked Serena, a glass of champagne in her right hand. The blond girl glanced at Chuck to make sure he couldn't hear her, he was teaching Taylor the art of flirting with girls.

"Well, you know him. He nevert talks about it, he lives as if he is not sick - except the no alcohol policy. His attorney called me the other, we, his friends, are his only heirs. I don't want him to go, he's Chuck. We've already lost Blair because we were foolish enough to think she'd be happy with Louis, I couldn't stand losing him, neither could Nate, I guess." Serena said. She was always on the verge of crying when it came to Chuck and his cirrhosis, and even surrounded by her family and her closest friends, that one time did not make any exception.

"I hope he'll make it through - but it's Chuck we're talking about, he'll get better." Raina wanted to cheer Serena up, she was - with her two kids - in the middle of that and she didn't know what to do. Of course, she was sorry for Chuck but she wasn't as much affected by that as Nate or Serena were.

"Yeah, you must be right." Serena said. She wasn't sure. Chuck had never been very lucky in his life - except in business - and the one thing he had wanted and loved more than anything had been taken away from him and was suffering.

Two hours late, the last guest eventually arrived. "I'm so sorry! My plane was late, the taxi driver had apparently never heard of the Empire Hotel and my phone crashed before I could call any of you!" The blond tornado rushed in the room, her hands full of her luggages and the expensive gifts she had bought for everyone.

"Don't worry, Jenny. Come here, it's been too long since I saw you!" Rufus said. He opened his arms to hug his daughter. She instantly dropped all her things and rushed to him. Then, she said hello to everyone, she was so glad to be there with all of them, it had been too long. She had been forgiven for all her sins and whenever she came back to Manhattan, she felt like she was home. She had made mistakes there, she had learned and she had grown up in New York, she was home.

But when she went to Chuck to say hello and give him the bottle of old scotch she had bought to thank him for hosting the Christmas Eve, she stumbled on her words. What had happened to him? Why did he seem so old? "Chuck - hi. That's for you, thank you for inviting tonight. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome Jenny. Thank you for your gift but - I don't drink alcohol anymore." He told her with a smirk. She didn't understand the sudden silence in the room when she gave him the bottle. But Chuck's new tendency to non-alcoholism was even more surprising.

"Well, uhm, you're welcome too." She didn't know what to say so she made a small smile and went to see her brother. Dan was playing with the tree girls on the carpet next to the tree. She sat down next to him and asked him what had happened to Chuck. He told her the whole story of his disease and in the end, Jenny's face went blank. Chuck was dying.

"So you understand why he doesnt drink anymore and why your gift felt like a cold shower in the room. Don't worry, nobody will hold that against you but don't do such a mistake anymore." Dan advised her.

"Sure. But there isn't any cure?" Jenny asked.

"Well, as I told you, we're looking for a compatible donor, he needs a liver transplantation but none of us is compatible - someone from his family would be the best but you know the Basses." Dan said. Jenny nodded and stood up without saying anything else. She was lost in her thoughts. She sat down on a leather armchair, away from the others, with a glass of champagne in her hand. She knew someone from Chuck's family, but did she have the right to shake a teenager's life and give away her boss's darkest secret?

"Jenny, are you okay? You didn't know about Chuck... I know, it's a hard new to take in but I can help you if you need anything, someone to talk to for instance." Serena said. She had seen the thin girl going to an isolated place, she didn't want anyone to feel abandoned so she came to check on her.

"Serena, there's something very important I need to tell you." Jenny murmured. She didn't want the others to know, she would already be in a lot of troubles after tonight.

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

"Merry Christmas, grandma!" Maxime exclaimed, hugging Yvette. She hugged him back, smiling widely. Cornelia didn't reach out to her, she knew the old woman wouldn't have hugged her as warmly as she'd hugged her grandson.

"You don't look with us, Cornelia." Isabelle murmured in her daughter's ear. Cornelia smiled to her mother and ignored her sentence. She didn't want to talk about Ivan and their break-up, five weeks ago. Their relationship hadn't lasted long, but Cornelia had the feeling that she had given him everything she could. Who was he to say that wasn't enough? She was in love. That bastard broke her heart and as much as she was glad to be spending Christmas Eve with her family - well, her adoptive family -, she wasn't feeling in the mood of partying. Like everytime she wasn't feeling ok, all her troubles were going back to the surface. What about her biological family, where were they? What were they doing? Were they happy or feeling a little bit blue, like her?

"Cornelia, do you want a piece of cake?" Yvette asked her. She denied the offer. She didn't like that kind of creamy cakes, she was craving macaroons. Chocolate. Pistachio. Yeah, pistachio. Or Vanilla maybe - Gosh, she really had to meet some guy who knew how to cook good macaroons, like those from Pierre Hermé or Baillardran or LaDurée, and marry him!

"Mom, can I go upstairs? There's some work I need to do and Marie must have texted me what she thinks of it - I have some troubles with it." Isabelle nodded and Cornelia rushed upstairs. She checked her phone and her e-mails. Empty. She was friendless. She was on the internet and she had some idea in mind - what if she could find some new things about her family?

She went on and did the same research as the first time. She went through each page she could find. The same pictures and infos. The bag "Cornelia" by Eleanor Waldorf, in honor of her daughter, Blair Cornelia Waldorf. That was all. She thought about it for a second. What if Blair was her mother?

Nah. Her mother would have told her, she knew Blair's face and she knew her mother's face too, they weren't the same. Too bad, she was sure she could have helped the poor woman.

* * *

><p><em>Monaco<em>

"So, is she happy now all her family is here, in _our palace_?" the Queen whispered wryly to her son. Louis grimaced. Blair had made a scene to him, his sister and his mother to be sure that all her family would be gathered here. The Waldorfs weren't welcome there. The Queen and Eleanor hated each other since Blair's first pregnancy. Louis's sister had a thing against Harold and Roman - she didn't like gays and that was one the reasons why Blair couldn't stand here.

"Mother, please, calm down. They'll be gone the day after tomorrow." Louis muttered under his breath. He took a sip of white wine - he didn't share Blair's taste for French champagne. Actually, they didn't share many things, except a palace and a son. Louis left his mother in the corner of the room, next to the fireplace. She was staring at her daughter-in-law. Roman caught her eyes, she looked pretty threatening. She suddenly smiled and it sent chills down Roman's spine, that woman had definitely something in mind, something none of the Waldorfs would like.

"Grandma, can you take Mom 'n me to Paris? I think she'd like it very much. She loves you, grandma." Eleanor smiled to her grandson, she wanted nothing more than taking her daughter and Henry to Paris with her, and keeping them there, safe.

"I agree with you, I love her too. And you know what, I love you too, small boy." she told him. She kissed him on the nose and left the crowd of her loved ones to talk to the Devil who wore Valentino rather than Prada. She was the last soldier of her army in her own battle field. Her daughter had faked a headache and she wished she could have done the same.

"The rumor says that my Blair will soon be a divorced woman and your son, married to a virgin Bulgarian princess. What should I believe?" Eleanor said without any look to the Queen.

"Well, you're Blair is no Queen to my son. He's in love with that respectable, virgin and ready to serve him to death lady. Louis have already told her about the deal, she will leave the palace and say they weren't happy anymore. She won't gossip about the royal family, she will be free to go wherever she wants to. Henry will stay here with us and she will be allowed to see him whenever she wants." the Queen said.

"Henry will stay with his mother because it's what he wants and it's his place. Try to take him away from his mother and you can be sure of something, we'll destroy you. You may be queen in Monaco but the rest of the world is ruled by power, fashion and manipulation. If you had known my daughter before she met your son, you would have known she used to be the best in all these three matters, she inherited from somewhere. Be careful and do not declare a war between our two families, you're risking your son's throne." Eleanor threatened. She smiled and left her, astounded. Eleanor and Blair were stunning in their Eleanor Waldorf dresses and the more time passed by, the less powerful and strong the Grimaldi looked. Blair's smile seemed stuck on her face and she ate twice much than what she usually ate.

* * *

><p><em>Hours later, Monaco.<em>

A phone rang in the middle of the night, when Santa Claus was putting gifts under the trees. Only four persons, forsaken in an isolated part of the castle, were woken up by that sound. Just a glance to the clock convinced the four of them the call was from New York. "Waldorf." Eleanor answered.

"Eleanor? It's Jenny. Sorry to disturb you so late in the night but I'm at Chuck's. I didn't tell him the truth but Chuck's sick, he has a liver cirrhosis and he needs a transplantation. None of them is compatible, the best would be someone from his family. Eleanor, he's dying." Eleanor was paler than the white silk sheets she was sleeping in. Cyrus was staring at her and started to worry when she winced at the word "cirrhosis".

"So what, Jenny?" Eleanor eventually managed to say.

"I told Serena the truth, she's shocked. She won't say anything but we decided to contact Cornelia to tell her everything about her father. We want to check if she's compatible and if she volunteers to give a piece of her liver to her father." Jenny said. Eleanor took a deep breath. She switched on the light and mouthed to Cyrus to tell Harold and Roman to come. She had too much to deal with. She was sorry for Chuck and deep inside, she knew Blair would never forgive her if she told her the truth and if Chuck died because she didn't want to say a thing about what she had done. Eleanor wanted to tell Blair the truth - they both needed it.

"Do it. Be careful, I don't want Blair to know anything about it. Chuck will tell him himself about Cornelia when and if he gets better. Tell Serena to call me, Blair will need her during the next months." Jenny said she would and they hung up. Everything was about to change, maybe not for the best, but at least, the truth would come to light and her Blair could eventually find happiness.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter will deal with the consequences of what happened in this one! Please, tell me what you think about this chapter.<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yes, I'm posting that soon because I really liked writing this chapter and I saw pictures of Leighton and Ed on the set of Gossip Girl and I want to hope Chuck and Blair will eventually be together! Anyway, I wrote Chuck, as many of you asked. I hope you won't be disappointed and you'll like it! Thanks again to all the persons who take the time to review my story :) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Three days later, Paris<em>

"Hi, Cornelia? It's Chris. I'm sorry I didn't call you back but my boss is now available and she wants to see you next saturday. Ritz Hotel, 3 pm. Is it okay with you?" Cornelia hadn't even had time to say a word before Chris talked. She was surprised she had finally found time to call her back.

"Yeah, sure." Cornelia answered. Chris barely told her goodbye and hung up. She sounded pretty anxious and Cornelia couldn't understand why. But she didn't worry long about that, the search for her biological family could carry on! She wanted to share the news with someone, but who? Cornelia knew Isabelle would fake a smile and her happiness for her daughter, Maxime wouldn't care and she hadn't told anyone else. The weight of her loneliness fell on her shoulders, she had no one to share her happiness with. Perhaps, in a few days or months, she would have someone to share that kind of news with.

* * *

><p><em>Humphrey's penthouse, Upper East Side<em>

"I can't believe it - Eleanor _really _did that to Blair and Chuck?" Nate exclaimed. He, Serena, Jenny and Dan were chatting around a cup of coffee at the Humphrey's. Serena and Jenny had just dropped the bomb, everyone still tried to understand why Eleanor did that.

"She did. Cornelia is living in Paris and she's looking for her biological family. I met her in a jewelry in Paris last summer, she was asking if anyone knew who the ring she had belonged to. I recognized her - she looks both like Chuck and Blair, she's the perfect mix of them both - and the ring, I had seen it in Chuck's locker, years ago. I sent my assistant to talk to her, she got her phone number and she scheduled a meeting next Saturday so as to talk to her about Chuck. Then I went to see Eleanor who told me the truth and asked me - well, threatened me into - not to tell anyone about Cornelia." Jenny explained. No one said a word, they were all astonished and lost in their thoughts. Chuck and Blair had an eighteen-year old daughter.

"Blair is going down because of the loss of her Cornelia. I don't understand Eleanor - she had the opportunity to make her daughter a little better and she decided against it. What kind of mother would do that to her daughter?" Nate asked.

"She thought Blair would be happier with Louis in Monaco, and she would have never been allowed to be with him if people had known the truth." Jenny said.

"Guess what, Eleanor was wrong! I hate her. Blair and Chuck would have been amazing parents, they would have loved that baby more than anything in the world. We would have been crazy uncles and aunts, the non judging breakfast club and its children." Serena said. She was clearly pissed.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I have to leave you all. I'll call you after my meeting with Cornelia." Jenny stood up and kissed them goodbye. She knew, when she looked in Serena's eyes, that she was forgiven, once and for all. Serena had blamed her her whole life for what happened between Blair and Chuck and for trying to break her relationship with Nate. But now, she was the one who had brought the light, a leap of faith in their lives and she could never thank her enough for that.

"It's pretty incredible how much she has changed" Serena stated once Jenny was gone. "I barely recognize the young smoky-eyed skinny girl I remember from our childhood." Nate and Dan agreed.

An awkward silence fell between the three of them, reminding them of the time where Serena couldn't choose between the two boys. Serena still felt attracted by Nate and vice versa, she took his virginity and that night would haunt them for the rest of their lives – even though Dan secretly wished he could make them both forget.

"So, what's up in New York?" Nate finally asked, smiling genuinely. Serena smiled back to him, so did Dan, and suddenly, they were back twenty years ago. They started chatting and laughing as if Chuck and Blair were having crazy sex at Chuck's or arguing or plotting against Georgina or Jenny – well, as if they were being _Chuck and Blair_.

* * *

><p><em>Chuck's penthouse, Upper East Side.<em>

Doctor Stein had just left the place and Chuck was alone, once again. The bar was empty – Serena, Dan and Nate took care of that months ago – and it was for the best. His liver gradually ceased functioning and Stein wasn't optimistic : complications started showing and time passing by, they wouldn't be able to control them. Chuck was taking small amounts of ciclosporin and tacrolimus, to prevent any organ rejection, if they can get one.

Chuck sighed and sat down next to a window, staring at the snow covering New York in white. Christmas holidays weren't his favorites, he preferred summer holidays because of the parties and the carefree feeling that floated in the air. Last summer may have been his last – and it scared him to death. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to leave this world without seeing her one last time, he needed to be sure she was okay – and she wasn't. One month ago, he had gone to her old flat and he had sat on her bed a whole night – hoping she'd show up and take him in his arms as she had done when his father died. She didn't come.

He had lost pounds – too much according to his relatives. He wanted to eat, to fight back, to survive but the food wouldn't stay in his stomach, he was _sick. _He didn't tell anyone, he didn't want to annoy Nate or Serena, but he was feeling all the weight of too many years of loneliness those days. When family were gathered around a joyful table, sharing gifts, laughing, he was alone. Of course, he hadn't been alone on Christmas Eve but in the end, in the middle of all his friends' children, he felt lost and alone.

"Fuck." he murmured, pissed at her, pissed at Fate, pissed at himself. He could have had a family, a real one, if he hadn't screwed up everything with _her_.They would have had amazing kids, a pretty girl named Audrey who would have looked exactly like her mother and a handsome, dark boy named Bart or Harold – or he didn't care at all what his name could have been because that boy would have been his and Blair's son and that was the only thing that would have mattered. He was sure they would have been happy, Blair wouldn't be so skinny – because he knew how to handle her and her bulimia.

"I deserve it – I let her down, she's dying and so am I. I cannot live knowing how much she's suffering because of me. I am not _allowed_ to." he cursed.

He could almost feel it eating him from the inside, wrenching life away from him. He wanted to fight, but how can you fight against your own body?

_Why_? That question was permanently hanging in his mind, why him? Because of what he did to Blair? To Jenny? To girls he didn't remember the name? To persons he didn't know? Did a God he didn't believe in have any reason to punish him that way? He thought he should have gone to the Church more often but the next, he chuckled at the idea. He was a sinner, he belonged to the darkness and no God, no priest, no religion, nothing could ever influence his decisions except himself, the persons he loved and her – but a decision made because of her wasn't always very rational or good for him.

He groaned and moved away from the window. He needed some distractions from his ghosts. He turned on the TV and realized he was completely doomed.

_... Princess Blair Grimaldi of Monaco may not be in place for long. Katerina Petrova, a Bulgarian socialite, was seen spending a lot of time with the Prince. They seem rather close, according to a maid of the Palace. So, what is going to happen to our dear New Yorker Princess? Will she go back to her welcoming – or maybe unwelcoming after all these years – Upper East Side or will she hide at her mother's, the famous Eleanor Waldorf? Only time will tell! About the Upper East Side, the rumor says that the infamous Chuck -_

And Chuck switched on CNN. Fuck the gossip channels. Why didn't Serena tell him the new about Blair? Maybe because she didn't know – shit. Blair would need her best friend – better, she would need her best _friends_. The Non-judging Breakfast Club, without him. He knew very well that seeing each other so sick wouldn't help.

He called Serena, she was on his 2 speed dial – Blair was still 1 after all this time. "Hi, Chuck. How are you? Is something wrong?" Serena asked, she sounded worried.

"I'm okay sis, it's about Blair. I saw on the news that she was about to become a divorced woman and that Louis would marry a Bulgarian socialite. Did you know?" he said. He coughed loudly and Serena winced behind her phone. Everyday she feared to receive a call from the hospital telling her they had arrived too late, that her stepbrother was dead. But what she dreaded even more was to have to tell _Blair_ that Chuck was dead. The news would kill her.

"Well, I heard about it but I never thought it was true. I guess I was wrong, did it sound serious?" she asked.

"Yes. They showed pictures of Louis and that Bulgarian bitch almost kissing and holding hands. She's going to need you, Nate and – it's a torture to say it but it's the truth – Lonely boy." he whispered in his phone. Serena could barely hear him but she didn't dare to ask him to speak louder, she knew how weak he was those days.

"I'll call Eleanor to confirm the rumor and then I'll call Blair to check on her. Don't worry, we'll take good care of her but we won't forget you, Chuck. You know we're here, right? We'll always be here for you." she said.

"Yeah. The Non-Judging Breakfast Club. Can't wait until our next meeting!" He could almost see her smiling and rolling her eyes. He smiled too.

"I call you back in two hours, alright? Take care of you, Chuck." He told to take care too and they hung up. For the umpteenth time in the day, Chuck sighed. She was haunting her. The whole place smelled like Chanel number 5, all he could hear was her laugh – and her cries –, he would never forget her and as much as he wanted her, he knew she would never be his again. Why? Because that meant a divorce, shame and _failure_. The Blair he had known would never accept failure and would never go back to him. So, to make sure she was happy, he would have to protect her and shield her from that Petrova bitch – he'd kill her if that meant that Blair could be happier than ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, what did you think? I hope Chuck wasn't too OOC (it's one of my fears. lol ) and what do you think of the tension between Nate and Serena? I still cannot choose between him and Dan (even though I <em>love<em> Dan's haircut in season 4). **

**Next chapter : the meeting between Jenny and Cornelia and Monaco :)**

**Nyah-Cullen.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N : Finally! I moved in my appartment and I finally have internet so I can post this chapter! I'm sorry for the time it took me to post - but I hope the wait will be worth it! Please, tell me what you think and once again, thank you all for your reviews :)**

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

Cornelia was waiting in the hall of the Ritz hotel, too impatient to sit down, too embarrassed not to. She was expecting Chris' boss – a thin blond girl, she said. She wasn't very comfortable with the place, all the women were wearing couture clothes, the kind she could never afford. Who was she, after all, with her old cracked Louboutin?

"Cornelia, I guess?" somebody asked her.

Cornelia turned around to see who was talking to her and she realized it must have been Chris' boss. She stood up and was about to shake her hand when the woman took her in hers arms to kiss her on both cheeks.

"My name is Jenny Humphrey," she started "let's go upstairs, I booked a room so we could talk in private and no one could overhear our conversation." Cornelia nodded in agreement and followed Jenny to the elevator. She was surprised by her behavior, shouldn't she some kind of cold and arrogant bitch? Jenny had changed since she left New York and she was doing her best friend to be kind to people – well, to important people or to the ones she liked.

They took the elevator to the fourth floor where a room was waiting for her with a bottle of Muscat – Jenny's favorite alcohol since she moved in France – and some chocolates. They sat down on the two big and comfortable armchairs that seemed to be waiting for them. Jenny poured them a glass and held one to Cornelia who took it.

"Well, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Jenny – as I told you earlier. I work for Eleanor Waldorf, a famous designer from New York and I know who your parents are. By the way, you look definitely like _both _of them, it's amazing how you are the perfect mix of them both. The story of your origins is a very long and complicated one. Besides, you can't tell anyone about it for now because neither your mother nor your father knows about you – I told you, it's complicated – and they're both famous." Jenny said. She knew she had a lot to tell her so she took a sip of Muscat to refresh her throat. She also took a bite of a chocolate and proposed one to Cornelia who didn't take it – she was too nervous to eat.

"Okay – I won't tell anyone. But why didn't you contact me earlier? Why now? And, when do I get to meet them?" Cornelia asked. She was a barren of questions, she wanted to know everything about them.

"Because your grandmother – the one who made you adopted – forbade me to. But I learned something that forced me to act. Your father is sick, he has a liver cirrhosis and he needs a transplantation, you may be his only hope to survival." Jenny said grimly. She thought she sounded like a bad soap opera.

"Alright – I guess I could do that for my father but, who is he? I'm not even sure he wants to meet me if he doesn't know I exist! Who is that grandmother of mine?" Cornelia was lost.

"Your father is Chuck Bass and your mother is Blair Waldorf – well, Blair Grimaldi, princess of Monaco – which means that your grandmother is -"

"Eleanor Waldorf." Cornelia cut her off. "If Blair Grimaldi really is my mother, there are a few things I need to tell her and do because I won't sit here and do nothing while my mother is dying because of bulimia and depression. Now, please tell me the whole story." Confusion and questions were overwhelming the poor eighteen year old girl.

"Of course but don't worry, we're handling things. So, let me think, what am I going to start with?" Jenny paused for a second and then started to tell her the story of her life, from the day Serena came back to New York City to explain the alchemy between her parents to last Christmas Eve in New York where she learned Chuck's disease. Cornelia listened carefully to the woman who knew her parents and who – she realized – may have been responsible – or at least partly – for their break up.

"If I get it well, my parents are made for each other, unhappy apart but they stayed that way for the past nineteen years because Blair is married to some prince and she told Chuck he made her happy so he didn't do anything – aren't they a bit twisted?" Cornelia said. Jenny chuckled, she had perfectly gotten her parents.

"They definitely are. They Blair and Chuck, Chuck and Blair and to us – the ones who have known them at their best and their worst – it means everything. They'll eventually get back to each other, I don't doubt it. But I need to know, will you do the tests? And if they are positive, will you follow me to New York to give Chuck a piece of your liver?" Jenny asked her. The last two questions were what she came for that day. She cared about Chuck and Blair enough to want them to meet their daughter but she would have never dared to defy Eleanor's authority just by pure charity.

"Will I meet him and my mother? Will I get to help them to be better, to be together? If the answer is yes to these two questions – and I guess it is – I'm ready to do that. He's my father and I'm pretty sure he would have gone looking after me if he had known about my existence, wouldn't he?" Jenny nodded and Cornelia felt kind of relieved. But at the same, she was worried. Blair and Chuck were both in danger – different dangers but still, he had a cirrhosis and she got skinnier everyday.

"Then I guess we agree on something. You should take my phone number and call me when you need me. I'll be available next holidays to follow to New York." Cornelia said. She didn't even recognize her own voice, she spoke almost automatically. She was somebody self-confident, who knew what she wanted – she couldn't remember the last time she had been that way.

"Of course and if you have any questions, you can call me. I'll introduce you to Eleanor, your grandmother, if you want. She'll be back from Monaco soon." Jenny wasn't sure of Cornelia's feelings toward Eleanor, the woman who lied to her parents. The French girl wasn't all love and forgiveness for her grandmother but still, she was from her family and she wanted the best life for everyone – including her – and she couldn't complain about her adoptive family – she freaking loved them.

* * *

><p><em>Monaco<em>

Blair was sitting on a bench in the garden of the palace. She was wearing a fur coat that was keeping her warm. She was reading a book she didn't like but she had nothing else to do. Henry was out in Monaco with his grandparents – she hadn't wanted to go with them, she was tired – and Louis was nowhere to be seen. Well, he was until he showed up in front of her.

"Blair, my dear, I think we need to talk." he told her. She didn't answer instantly but carefully closed her book, stood up and stared at him in the eyes.

"You took your time." she said with a tone full of reproaches. He was startled by her sentence, he wasn't used to her being so direct and unkind. He knew she used to be a real sick manipulative bitch in high school – he had heard and seen it a few times – but he thought that time was far behind them. He was wrong. Blair was coming back to life, he shouldn't have allowed her to talk for hours with her old friends from New York and her family, she would have remained his own little puppet.

"Well, I'm -"

"Don't say you're sorry." she cut him off. "You fell in love with another girl, you had every right to when your wife was still in love with her ex. I wasn't a good wife to you, I gave you and your crown an heir and a stylish companion but still, I was nothing more. You're not sorry, I failed you, I failed us, I failed Henry, I even failed myself. Anyway, we have to handle thing carefully and smartly or people – by people, I mean Henry – will be hurt and our reputations will be ruined."

Louis didn't answer – he was surprised by Blair's behavior. She looked like she had grown stronger in a few days. She looked less thin and fragile but still, she wasn't the same old Queen Bee.

"Now, if you please, I'd like to keep reading my book, dear husband of mine." she said. She sat down and started reading again, not looking at him. He harrumphed and left, his pride had been wounded but he decided against hurting hers – the consequences might be awful.

Once Louis was out of sight, Blair sighed and breathed heavily, her lungs craving for oxygen. She tossed her book away and lay down on the bench. She was tired, so tired. Tears of anger and shame started to stream down her cheeks – years ago, she could have stood there, defying him, for hours, arguing with a sharp tongue and hurting him more and more. Now, even though she had taken back a piece of her old strength, she wasn't ready to be thrown in the arena with the lions.

_You and I are magnetic... _She suddenly raised her head, sensing _his_ presence, hearing _his_ voice. She looked around but he was nowhere to be seen. She was kind of relieved, she didn't want him to see so weak, so _unworthy_ of him. But somehow, that sentence coming from the depth of her memory made her smile. If anyone had seen her this way, he or she would have thought Blair had lost her mind. She was smiling so widely, he face lit up like the Champs Elysées lit up on Christmas Eve, gorgeous, amazing, almost coming straight from a fairytale.

"You're coming back to me, aren't you?" she said aloud, to the wind. _If two people are meant to be together, eventually they'll find their way back..._ Her smile widened. Was she crazy to smile at memories? To hope because of them? Or was it the truth? Was he really coming back for her?

_A certain Bass gets sick but what about his beloved bulimic depressive ex? They may be dying defying their feelings years ago, but truth be told and the dark knight could finally save his not-so-white princess, or death will rip him out before he does? Only time will tell – XOXO, Gossip Girl._

* * *

><p><strong>So this is the end of the chapter! I hope you liked it. I wanted to add Gossip Girl, I hope it sounded like her - I tried, I swear! She is just a guest now but I want to make her a recurrent character - but it is not done yet ^^ Don't forget to review :)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: here is the new chapter! :) I'm having a hard time writing - well, you can thank my college for that! Anyway, I hope it won't disappoint you :) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side <em>

"So that's it? She is coming to us?" Serena whispered to Jenny.

"Yes. She's compatible. She'll fly here next month and give Chuck a piece of her liver, she gave me her assent, I told Dr Stein about it two days ago, I don't if he has already told Chuck or not. She wants to meet Chuck and Blair." Jenny said.

"She will. Chuck won't accept a anonymous donation, he'll want to know who is his donor. She needs to be in the same hospital as he, she will have the best doctors taking care of her – neither Blair nor Chuck would forgive us if something happened to her." Serena told her. Jenny nodded as they heard Chuck's footsteps walking down the corridor. The smile he was wearing clearly showed how glad he was to see them. He liked company – now more than ever, when Death was so obviously making his way to take him away.

"Serena, Jenny, how are you two doing?" he greeted them. He kissed Serena on both cheeks and welcomed the youngest girl with a shy hug – after all, he was the one who took her virginity.

"We're fine, thanks. And you, Chuck? How did your last interview with Stein turn out?" Serena asked. Chuck grimaced, it meant nothing good. Serena started to stress but she soon realized Chuck's grimace was only a way to hide his smile.

"They found a donor. Next month, I'll get a new liver." He said with his low, warm voice that used to send chills down Serena's best friend's spine.

"Chuck, that's amazing! I can't believe it! How did they manage to do it? Who is it so I can send him or her flowers?" Serena screamed out. Jenny smiled, she was happy for Chuck but also amused by Serena's reaction – she really was a big faker and a good actress. She seemed so natural at lying it was almost scaring.

"I don't know, Stein wouldn't tell me. I'll make sure that person gets everything he or she wants because even if it's an anonymous donation, Stein told me that person wanted to give that piece of liver to me and only me. Weird, isn't it?" he said.

"Yeah. We'll find this person, don't worry but now, you know what you have to do, right? You need to rest and be okay until the operation, follow Stein's order and enjoy your life, Chuck, because you have years and years ahead of you." She wanted him not to start looking for Cornelia – his PI was one of the best and he would end up finding her out and her plan would be ruined.

"Why not looking for this person in the mean time?" Serena winced but Chuck didn't seem to have noticed contrary to Jenny.

"Let's not worry about anything. Eleanor sent me back to New York for a couple months, Serena and I were thinking about throwing a party. Do you want to help us? After all, you're the best sinner in New York." Jenny said before Serena could say anything and maybe raise suspicions in Chuck's mind.

He smiled but they could see the sadness in him, he _used _to be the best sinner in New York – he couldn't even drink a mere glass of champagne. "Call me if you need anything, I have work to do, I'm sorry girls but I have to leave you." They understood very well that he didn't want to be part of it – it would have opened too many not stitched wounds. Serena reached out to hug him but he backed off, he didn't want any of her pity. She put her arms down and smiled to him before leaving with Jenny. He never wanted to hurt Serena's feelings but he didn't need her to soothe him like a baby! He was a grown-up man and he could handle himself and his own troubles. He was sick, there was still a risk he would die before the transplantation next month but today, there was more hope than ever.

"He looked better, didn't he?" Serena asked. She was fidgeting with her phone, she looked pretty stressed. Jenny made her stop and forced her to look her in the eyes.

"Yes, he did. Stop worrying, Serena. Dr Stein takes good care of him, he will get a liver transplant and everything will go back to normal- without Chuck's binge drinking." Jenny murmured to her. She knew there were cameras and microphones in the elevators of The Empire.

"And with Blair back from Monaco." Serena completed. Jenny nodded. She wasn't sure about the last part – she knew Blair and her pride, even if she came back to the Upper East Side, she would never be the same old Queen B and nothing proved she'd come back to Chuck.

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

"Good afternoon, Cornelia. Please, take a sit." Eleanor said. They both sat down. Cornelia was very uncomfortable, Eleanor had called her three hours ago to arrange a meeting, she wanted to talk to her.

"I know it must be awkward for you – it is for me too. Jenny told you the whole story, I'm sorry about the part I played in your adoption but as you may know, I wanted to do best for everyone. Blair thought she'd be happier with Louis and having a Chuck's baby would have destroyed everything – Blair's reputation and her relation with Louis. It was before I realized what it would do to her and that in fact, Chuck may be better for her. I guess it is too late for regrets, I'm trying to make it up for my mistakes, but I need your help." Eleanor said. She let Cornelia all the time she needed to think about what she said. She wanted to get to know her granddaughter, after all this time. Harold wanted it too, but he was out of town for the following months for business, they would all meet up in New York for Chuck's operation.

"I'll help you – for Chuck and Blair. I think you still don't deserve my trust because you should have contacted earlier, when Blair had started to get all weak and skinny. You're my grandmother, I want to give you a chance and I want to learn to know you. I read things about you on the Internet." Cornelia made a pause. She saw Eleanor's body stiffen. Her reputation was to be a cold bitch. "But I don't want to give it any credit. I'm a bitch to people in work because it sometimes is the only way to get the job done and well done."

"I see we agree on something. I understand what you blame me for and I want the same as you. I'll do whatever I can to get my daughter back – the one who gave birth to you, not the one you can see on TV." Eleanor tried a smile but it was as if her muscles hadn't smiled for too long. Cornelia smiled back, she really wanted to help them but she didn't know what to do but to follow orders. If she followed her instincts, she would go straight to New York, take Chuck with her and head to Monaco to reunite her family. But they told her not to – and they were right, none of them would have been able to handle the shock because of their bad health.

* * *

><p><em>Monaco<em>

"Mommy? What are you doing?" Henry asked as he slowly opened the door of his mother's room. He found Blair lying on her bed, unconscious, with a this month's _Vogue_ next to her. She was quietly breathing. He entered the room and cautiously closed the door behind him. He climbed on the bed and put his arms around his mother's body, cuddling against her.

Blair was half-sleeping when her son took her in his small arms. She smiled in her sleep, she was glad he was there, her little sunshine. "How are you, sweetheart?" she mumbled.

"Did I wake you mommy?" he genuinely asked.

"No, I wasn't really sleeping." she said. She turned around to face him and saw how worried her little boy looked. She frowned and held him as tight as possible. "I love you, Henry, do you know that?"

"I love you too, mom. But Grandma told me you wanted to leave me and daddy to go living in New York with your friends." he said. Blair winced, what was the Queen trying to do? She was planting those horrible ideas in her boy's mind but she didn't realize she was messing with the wrong person – Blair would never let her destroy them.

"Grandma didn't tell you the truth. Between your daddy and I, it's complicated. We love you so much and we love each other but it is not the same as it used to be. We are not happy together that is why we have decided to part. But we love you, none of us is going to leave you behind: you can choose to stay with me or with daddy and grandma in Monaco but anyway, you will see us whenever you want, do you understand what I say?" Blair wanted him to understand her but she couldn't find the right words. She wanted Henry to go with her in Paris – she didn't want to go back to New York so soon – but she couldn't force him to choose her.

"Is it because of me? I know I shouldn't have provoked a fight with Geoffrey at school but please, mom, don't leave daddy because he taught me to fight." he pleaded.

"No, Henry, don't worry, it's not because of you. Your daddy is leaving as much as I leave him, you know. Anyway, I want you to understand that it has nothing to do with you." she said.

"But mommy -"

"Henry," she cut him off, "I think you are old enough to learn some truths about me." She took a deep breath, she was still sleepy but she knew it was time her son was told the truth. "A long time ago, I fell in love with a man, so in love that it was too intense for both of us to handle it. By the time I met your daddy, I got pregnant of that said man but the baby didn't live through the day of her birth. Then I fell in love with your daddy but the loss of my daughter – your half-sister – haunted me and the memory of the man I still loved too. Then you came into my life and I felt happiness again but here, I cannot be completely happy because I still love him – the man I left behind – and I'm sure you would be happy with us too."

It was hard for the young boy to understand everything his mother told him. He loved her and felt guilty for the divorce of his parents but, he started to realize that they could all find happiness elsewhere. "I understand what you say. But are you sure you have to leave daddy? Do I have to leave daddy too? I want to stay with both of you..."

It saddened Blair to hurt her son that way but she knew there was nothing else to do. She couldn't let the Queen manipulate him or let learn the truth by his father and his future wife – Katerina Petrova. So they kept on talking, mother and son, to understand each other and win their own true happiness.

_Spotted – The Phoenix may have risen from the ashes but the path to paradise lost isn't an easy one. Guess that from ashes to Queen, there's only one step that is left to be taken – from across the ocean. XOXO, Gossip Girl._

* * *

><p><strong>So I hope you liked it and I'll post chapter 11 next week : a lot of Cornelia and some BlairSerena :) Don't forget to leave a review!**

**Nyah-Cullen**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N : Here is the new chapter! I think I like it because of what I make Blair do and because of the new character (I'm introducing to Cornelia! ;)). Anyway, I just wanted to say I got a review from M who said Monaco wasn't a kingdom but a princedom - that's true! I'm sorry, I made a mistake by calling Louis's mother the Queen. I wanted to make a parallel between the Queen/Blair and Sophie/Queen B (you may understand my weird idea later ^^ ). From now, I will call Sophie, the Princess. Enjoy :)**

* * *

><p><em>Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport, next month.<em>

Cornelia was waiting for the checking at the airport with her parents and her luggage. She was feeling awfully anxious, she was about to meet her father and the people that cared the most about her biological parents.

"Are you sure you have to go? You owe nothing to these persons. They abandoned you, Cornelia." Cornelia's little brother said. She smiled at him, he didn't want to see his sister hurt or go away but she knew she had to go. Her father's health worried her and even though the story of her parents startled her, she had to admit she had expected much worse – such as a rape story.

"You don't understand what I'm going through since my last birthday. I know my life from the day Isabelle and Daniel adopted me but I don't know who conceived me, who my looks, my inner me come from. I'll come back in two weeks, don't worry lil' brother." she told him. Isabelle and Daniel were as worried as Maxime – even more worried, to say the least. Cornelia was leaving France for the first time – in first class, thanks to a certain Serena van der Woodsen – for a foreign country to give a piece of her liver to a complete stranger – that appears to be her biological father. How complicated!

"Yeah but why don't they come? I don't understand, if they want to see you, they could all come! They're rich after all, aren't they?" Maxime asked.

"It's not that easy. My father – my biological father – is sick and he can't travel, I'm the only one who can help him and together we will help my biological mother. It's hard, I know, but it's necessary, I see it now." she said. And eventually, it was her turn to check in. She kissed her family goodbye and boarded. She was first class the first time she took a plane – and _that_ was awesome. The hostesses were so nice and kind to her – they were such big fakers!

She sat on a beige leather seat twice bigger than her next to the most handsome man she had ever met. She was screaming inside – she _loved _that Serena! She put her handbag under her seat – there was room above her where she should have put it but she didn't want to.

She glanced at the man next to her and couldn't believe her eyes. He was wearing the kind of suit that must have cost like twice what her parents earned in a year and it fitted him very_ very _well. He was typing things on his laptop and he seemed quite concentrated. She didn't dare glancing again. She waited quietly – and quite impatiently – for the plane to take off. Thirty minutes – thanks to the kind of person that waits until the last minute to board.

Once the plane had finished taking off, she started reading a book. From times to times, she glanced at the man next to her. He was freaking handsome. She thought about Ivan – he was nothing compared to him, a piece of shit.

"I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier but I see you're reading Harlan Coben's novel, _Innocent_ and I'm a huge fan of this author. I'm Damon Salvatore and you are?" he said.

Cornelia winced. She hadn't expected something like that but she was too happy. "I-I'm Cornelia Dupont." she stammered. She finally had the opportunity to examine him closely. He had the most wonderfully blue eyes of this world – that was a heck of an understatement in Cornelia's mind – and he was dark-haired.

"Oh, you must be French. I'm sorry, my French is so poor you'd probably laugh at me. Do you like Harlan Coben? I didn't notice "e" at the end of the title, that's why I guessed you were English." he said. She was bewildered, he was talking to her as if they already knew each other – well, it wasn't as if she didn't like that! They started chatting about Harlan Coben's novels, Paris and even New York. She learned he was a famous lawyer of New York, he worked for Wolfram & Hart, but he was about to become an associate – that meant that his name would soon be on the front door.

"That's amazing! You must be – what? - twenty five and you're already at the top. I'm eighteen and I'm crawling under school work and I can't seem to find my way out!" she said. He laughed and she blushed at the thought that the sight and the sound of him laughing was like a piece of heaven on earth. Gosh – was she that much crazy? Was he that handsome?

"I'm 27. Almost ten years older than you! I feel so old now I've said it. Never mind, I was like you when I was studying at Yale but I grew up. You'll find your way out, I'm sure." he tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, whatever. Why don't you tell me something about the case you're actually working on? Something entertaining. I swear I won't repeat it!" She was craving gossip – only for entertaining purpose, she wouldn't say anyone.

"I can't, I'm sorry." he said. "But," he added when he saw the sad face she made "I can tell you who I work for these days!"

"Spit it out!"

"Bass industries' CEO, the famous Chuck Bass." she winced. He worked for her father. He noticed her reaction but assumed she knew the name. "He's been my client for five years, he's really nice you know, compared to what newspapers say."

"Really? Tell me about him, if you can, of course." she asked. She had told him she was going to New York to look for an internship for the end of her semester because she couldn't possibly tell him the truth about the reason of her trip. Now, more than before, she must remain quiet about that reason.

"Chuck is a wounded man but he is also very strong. I don't know how he manages to do what he does at Bass Industries because it's a pretty huge affair!" He sounded so nice about her father, she wanted not to believe all she had read about him on the Internet but she still doubted.

"Yeah, I heard about Bass Industries. What do you do for him?" she asked.

"Well, I can't really say but I had to go to Paris to look for a certain Amelia Lasserre for some personal reason. Now, I have to tell Mr Bass I haven't found her and he's going to kill me – if you knew why I was looking for her, you'd understand." He winked at her and she smiled. She had winced at the name of the girl he had been looking for – it was that name she was planning to give a piece of her liver to Chuck so she understood very well Chuck's anger.

"I understand. You seem to really like him, by the way." she said.

"He's become a friend. He helped me out with my mom's alcohol issues and I'm trying to do my best to help him out now he needs me." she saw a flash of sadness and pain going through his eyes. She also heard in his voice it wasn't something he really wanted to talk about – that's why she didn't insist and put the subject of the conversation back on Chuck.

"I heard he had some sort of cancer, is that true?" she tried to sound as genuine as possible.

"Yes," he whispered "but I have reasons to think he'll soon be back entirely healed."

She wanted to tell him who she was – it must make him smile and they would talk about that for the rest of the trip but she couldn't, she had promised Jenny she wouldn't and she knew it might affect her future and her parents'.

Therefore, they kept on chatting about everything. He was so interested in her she thought he knew about her secret but she saw in his eyes he was true to her.

_Monaco_

"S! I'm glad to hear from you, how is New York?" Blair said, hearing Serena's voice in her phone. She was stuck in her room – she wasn't forced, no, she just couldn't bear the sight of the Princess, her son and her future daughter-in-law.

"New York's fine, would be better with you but still. And what about you, how are you handling things?" Serena wanted to sound as cheerful as possible but she was too worried about her two best friends' health. She wanted to be sure Blair didn't know anything about Chuck's disease. It was still a rumor according to the tabloids but still, she didn't need Blair to worry about anything else than herself and Henry.

"We will make this official the day after tomorrow, it's hard to say it but I feel kind of relieved, you know. I haven't been happy with Louis for ages and even though I know it's not the best thing for Henry, I really want to leave this place. By the way, I've heard some rumors about Chuck. Does he really have a cancer?" Blair didn't dare to say she freaking missed New York and his inhabitants – Serena would have perfectly understood that by inhabitants, she meant Chuck.

"Those are only rumors, B! He's only seeing someone to stop drinking – yes, we're talking about the same Chuck – and people are assuming the worst! Anyway, are you coming back to New York?" Serena asked.

"No, not so soon. I'm going to stay at least a month in Monaco for Henry and then I'll go with my mother in Paris for some months, I don't when – if – I come back to New York." She didn't want to rush him or to thrown him in the arena with the lions – the medias and all the gossips that crave only for one thing, destruction.

"Blair, don't tell me you want to be an exile in France for the rest of your life? You know you belong to New York, and the UES belongs to you. We miss you." Serena pleaded. If Blair didn't want to come back to Manhattan, then there would be no chance that she'd be reunited with Chuck and the news of Cornelia must destroy her without his support.

"I'm not the same old B, you know. I've changed, you may or may not have noticed throughout all these years but it's the truth." Blair said. She sighed, she wanted to go back that night, the night when she conceived a child, a pretty young girl who wasn't meant to live, she wanted to talk before Chuck even could. He should have fought harder for her, she shouldn't have been so blinded by an ersatz of happiness and love.

"I know that, B. We used to be closer but I want my best friend – my sister back! Come back to us. Life may not have been easy on you but there's still hope, you're young, fresh, pretty and you could rule over the world as you had planned." Serena's speech made Blair smile. She so wanted to believe her – after all, she had proved them all she could be as cruel as the Devil and even fall in love with him, right?

"I'll come back, then. But not without a challenge - tell Gossip Girl to be ready to fall down, 'cause I'm not going to stop until I take her _down_. She's hurt us too many times, she deserves, once and for all, to pay for what she did." Blair said. It was Serena's turn to smile,_ B was back_.

_Spotted – A young girl walking down the airport of New York with a gorgeous lawyer and then climbing in a black limo. Watch out, Upper East Siders, I don't think that the new girl in town is one you can mess up with – and less forget the name she wears. XOXO, Gossip Girl._

* * *

><p><strong>This is the end! I hope you liked it and I wanted to tell that next chapter, I'll start putting some flashbacks from the time Blair gave birth to Cornelia, how everything went in the UES, her wedding, etc. <strong>

**Don't forget to review :)**

**Nyah-Cullen**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here we go with the flashbacks :) By the way, I wanted to answer to an anynomous review - To Hate Vampire FanGirls : This story is NOT a crossover between GG and VD, I'm just using some characters ( who are not vampires, who have different personnalities from VD ) from the Vampire Diaries because I like them, I like the actors and I like such references when I read stories. Now, if you think that ruined my story, don't read it. **

**Anyway, to the others, I hope you'll like this chapter :)**

* * *

><p><em>Switzerland, eighteen years ago.<em>

"Mom, are you sure she's going to be alright? She isn't supposed to go out of my belly that soon – why can't I give birth to her myself?" Blair asked, feeling a little bit dizzy. Serena, Eliza and Eleanor were next to her, holding her hands as she slipped into unconsciousness. Serena was panicking, tears were started to stream down her cheeks so she looked away from Blair but the poor girl couldn't even distinguish Serena's blue eyes through the veil that was taking place in front of her eyes. Eliza was feeling sick, why was she there? She didn't even know that girl, she would do more hurt than anything and she was there, holding her hands as if she really cared. Well, she cared but she was bound to do wrong.

"She's not in a good position, honey. You cannot give birth to her this way or she won't survive. Everything's going to be okay, the doctors are going to take good care of you." Eleanor said as she stroked her cheek. She was smiling at her daughter but inside, she was crying. She was about to do the most horrific thing of her whole life – kidnapping her own granddaughter to give her to a family she didn't know and lie to her daughter about that.

And Blair was unconscious. The doctor took her away to the operation room and the three of them went to the waiting room where Cyrus, Roman and Harold were already sitting. When Harold saw Eleanor coming, he nodded and they understood each other – everything was going along with their plan. Yet, none of them was completely reassured – something could happen to Blair or to the baby and they would want none of that to happen.

"Eleanor, I don't think Blair will be able to give away for adoption Chuck's daughter." Serena suddenly said, breaking the silence surrounding them.

The traitor winced. She took her by surprise. "I know." she said. She was a mother, after all, she wouldn't have been able to give away for adoption her child. Never. But now was a time when choices needed to be made and she thought she was the strong one who had to made them. She must have been wrong.

A picture popped up in Serena's worried mind. Chuck, Blair and a tiny girl who had Blair's smile, Chuck's eyes and a rounded face. She started to smile at the thought of that happy family, she was sure she'd be happier that way than with Louis and without Chuck and their daughter. She took a resolution – if Blair seemed hesitant, she would tell her exactly what she thinks and convince she had made the wrong choice by choosing Louis over Chuck. She wanted to help her, she really did and she believed her when she said she loved Louis and he made her happy but she also saw what she was like whenever she was with Chuck. All fire, passion and _so Blair_. Louis would never be able to handle her properly.

Before hell broke loose, the silence was king and white was the color of hope – before it became the color of the faces of the people gathered in the waiting room. The doctor slowly walked in after what seemed like an eternity in the operation room, removed his mask and sighed. He had no good news and Serena felt her heart break.

"I'm sorry but we couldn't do anything to save her, the baby didn't survive but Miss Waldorf is in her room, she'll be awake in a few minutes if you want to tell her the news. Once again, I'm sorry for your loss. Please, when you have time, go to the secretary, there are some papers you have to deal with when you're ready." And he walked away as if nothing wrong happened.

Serena put her head in her hands and started crying. She was crying because of Blair, she couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of pain she will have to go through – three months before her royal wedding. She wouldn't say a word about Chuck, she didn't need to be constantly reminded of the daughter she had lost – _they _had lost. She knew Chuck should be there too, he should be aware of all that's going on there but she would never have the strength and the will to defy Eleanor and Blair.

Eleanor wasn't a very good actress but she just had Serena and Blair to fool – that wouldn't be too hard, knowing how shaken the two girls would be. Fake tears started to fall down her cheeks and Harold took her in his arms.

Then, they all went to check on Blair who was slowly awakening. When she asked after her daughter – she wanted to call her Charline, Evelyn or Audrey, she hadn't made her up mind yet –, she knew something was wrong. Why wasn't she hearing her crying or breathing heavily next to her bed? Why were they all staring at their feet? Her cardiac rhythm suddenly increased and she started fearing the worst.

"Don't- you promised. Mom, you said – you said -" she sobbed. Serena rushed to her and held her as tight as possible. Blair, with her hair all messy and her pale face, looked like a fallen Queen – the kind she was about to become. She soaked Serena's Chanel top but no one cared about that. Blair had lost her baby, she felt like she had lost more than a child that day – she had lost what she had left of Chuck. He had let her go, he had decided for her that Louis was better – did he know how much she loved him? How much she wanted that baby? How much she wanted to raise her with him? He freaking let her go when she needed him the most. She had felt guilty and ashamed that night but not for the good reasons – he was her guilty pleasure, she felt guilty to have said 'yes' to Louis and not to him, she felt ashamed to have been so blind she hadn't realized he was the one for her.

But now, everything was said and done. She had told herself she would leave Louis and go back to New York with the baby if everything turned out right, if she had clearly made up her mind. Too bad fate had decided to take her baby and her chance at happiness with her. Or is it Fate that is to blame?

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, Manhattan. Back to present.<em>

"Are you sure you want to do this, Miss Lasserre? It's not an operation without any risk." Dr Stein asked Cornelia who was sitting in front of him. Jenny, Serena and Nate were by her side.

"I'm sure. But please, call me Cornelia Dupont, Amelia Lasserre was just a name to be sure Mr Bass wouldn't find me." she explained. Stein couldn't be surprised after Serena's revelation earlier in the day – actually, he had understood what was happening when he saw Cornelia's face, she looked like Blair and Chuck and he knew about their romance.

"I think it's normal, knowing Mr Bass. There are some papers you need to sign, here and here." he told her. She grabbed the papers and signed them. At first, Stein thought the presence of Jenny, Nate and Serena would stress her and force her to do what she was told but she looked quite calm.

"When will it happen?" Cornelia asked. She had been in New York for five hours but she wanted it to be done as soon as possible to enjoy the life in New York and to get to know her father.

"Well, Chuck's already here so as soon as you're ready." he said.

"Let's go then." she concluded. She was a direct girl – like her parents. Stein led her to her room but everyone could see she was preoccupied, was she hesitating? When he asked her, Cornelia responded she wanted to see her father before the operation.

"Cornelia, you can't see him, he would cancel the operation until he gets all the answers and then he would never accept it because you're his daughter." Serena intervened. She feared something wrong happened.

"I don't mean telling him who I am, I just want to see him, that's all." she murmured, shy for once.

"I may have an idea." Stein started. "A nurse is supposed to bring Chuck his lunch, you could pretend to be the nurse." Cornelia's eyes lit up and she turned to Serena to see if she agreed or not – lucky for her, she did. Stein brought Cornelia an uniform of nurse she put on and gave her Chuck's plate. She was glowing, she couldn't help but smile, holding a plate of bad food and wearing horrible pink clothes.

She knocked on the door and got in before he could answer. Chuck was lying in his bed, his computer on his lap, working. "You could have waited for me to tell you to get in." he said without even looking up. She pulled the trail of food to the bed and he finally put his computer aside and looked up to her. "You're new, aren't you? I haven't seen you around and God knows I've spent many days here for the past months."

"I am, sir. I'm sorry but the trail is heavy and uneasy to carry." she said as she put his plate in front of him. He glared at the food and grimaced. She couldn't hold back her smile and he noticed it. He stared at her and faced the resemblance. He was breathless, how could he not have noticed it earlier? Maybe because her hair was hiding her face, maybe because she had her head bent.

"Is something wrong, sir?" she asked, after a few seconds of silence and him staring at her.

"No, nothing's wrong." he said, "You just remind me of someone I knew, a long time ago."

"Well, I would have remembered you if we had ever met before, sir." she laughed softly. He was staring at her with a keen smile and suddenly she felt surrounded by his warmth. Small wrinkles appeared at the corner of his eyes that showed he wasn't the young man he used to be but he looked so young, so strong and yet so weak in the hospital room. She wanted to tell him who she was but she couldn't – for him.

"Yeah, sure. I haven't seen her for ages, my mind is playing with me." he said.

"I do believe in signs, maybe you'll have news from her sooner than you expect. I'm sorry sir, I wish I could stay longer but I have work to do." and she left the room. She didn't wait for him to answer. She walked slowly to her room and gave back the clothes to Stein. She sat down on her bed with Nate, Serena, Jenny, Dan and Raina all around her.

"So, how was it?" Serena finally dared to ask.

"Incredible. I think he recognized me – well, in his blood I mean. He looked at me with tender eyes – like a father – and he opened up to me, not so much but I think he wouldn't have opened up that much to a random nurse." she said. She was still under the shock of the meeting. It was nothing, it only lasted two or three minutes but it meant everything to her. She had met her father for the first time and she had felt a true connection, she wanted to get to know him and the sooner she would give him a piece of her liver, the sooner it would happen.

"I'm glad for you." Serena told her with a smile.

"Thanks. I guess it's time for the operation, doctor." she said to Stein. He nodded and called the nurse and the anesthetist. They took care of her before going to Chuck. Everybody left her as soon as she dozed off. Twenty minutes later, Chuck joined her in the kingdom of Morpheus and the five UESers went to the waiting room. The only sound you could hear was the ticking of the clock. Serena was stressed, the situation reminded her of the one she had lived almost nineteen years ago. She wanted nothing more than to hear good news from the doctors, she wouldn't bear it if she was told the death of Cornelia – for the second time.

A few hours later, when the door opened on Stein, Serena automatically grabbed two hands – Nate's and Dan's. She was hardly breathing and her mouth suddenly went dry.

"Well, I guess it's me who have to tell you that." Stein started and Serena felt her whole world, all her hopes falling down.

_Spotted – Chuck Bass and the mysterious young girl walking in the same hospital. Why could that possibly be? Well, in the mean time, B's taking down Monaco and taking away the title of Queen back to New York. Sophie's Princess no more and B's taking strength. XOXO, Gossip Girl._

* * *

><p><strong>Don't forget to review ;)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N : I know I'm sooo late and I'm so sorry but I had too much work to do - if that's a good reason - and I didn't have much inspiration. I'm still watching Gossip Girl and even though I was happy to see Blair pregnant, I think there's not enough Chair in this season! Anyway, do you really think Louis is the father? Has she even opened that letter? (I don't think so... I'm still hoping Chuck is the father! ^^). Well, anyway, I'm so sorry for making you wait and I'm sorry if I forgot to answer to the reviews ( I can't remember if I did it or not... ), I want to thank you again for your reviews :)**

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, nineteen years ago.<em>

"Hey sis, how was the spa in Switzerland?" he asked, pulling her from her daydreams. She was sitting on the couch of the living room, staring blankly at the window, at Manhattan. She had come back home the day before, all tired and red-eyed. No one had seen her except Lily and Eric. She had landed late in the night from Europe and a limo had brought her back to the UES, lonely and blue. She hadn't wanted to talk to anyone, pretending to be too tired but Lily knew better than to trust what she said. She had told Chuck to come to visit her and try to help her but he, above all persons in New York, wouldn't know what was worrying her.

"Great. We had so much fun and we talked a lot, girl's talk, you know." she answered, not looking him in the eyes. She wouldn't bear lying at him that horribly. He had lost a baby girl and he didn't even know about it. Blair needed him more than ever and no one would ever tell him about it. _That_ was the worst thing she'd ever done to him.

"I'm glad to hear it. Lily told me she was worried about you, you seem quite preoccupied, I guess. What's on your mind? Whose silence do I have to buy?" he joked. Serena smiled softly but wasn't in the mood – if only she was the one in trouble.

"No one. I'm just really tired and I'm thinking about Blair and all the things that are going to change in the next months." she said. Chuck nodded and sat down next to her on the couch. She stared at him and the face of a cute baby girl appeared. She would have been so beautiful in her father's arms, looking up at him with widened surprised eyes and him smiling back at that stare then looking up to smile to Blair, his eyes wet from happiness. It hurt too much.

"As you want. How is Blair doing, by the way? Still living her own little fairytale?" he asked, wishing hard she wasn't and she would come back to him, but still wishing harder she was happier than ever. Serena understood that perfectly and told him she was living in pure bliss. He smiled weakly at her and it ached even more in her chest. Why was she lying to him? He may have been the only who could have brought her back to life. She had left her restless, sad and not talking to anyone. The day after her daughter's death, she had sneaked out of her room to see the newborns in their small transparent beds. There had been like ten cute babies, boys and girls, crying and moving like worms. She had been there, staring blankly at a cute all-in-pink dressed baby girl who had heart-shaped lips and brown small hair on her pale face, when Serena had eventually found her. "I feel like this baby girl is mine." she had said and Serena hadn't answered. She had taken her back into her bed and held her in her arms until she was too tired to fight.

"And what about you? I heard you were moving to California, is it true? Do you think Nate and Lonely Boy will survive here without you?" he laughed. He wanted to make her smile but she wouldn't.

"Yeah. I've found a job so I decided to focus on my career. Nate is dating Charlie and Dan is dating whoever he wants. I owe them nothing, Chuck." She knew she was wrong. Both of the boys had asked her if she was really going to California and had told her they would miss her. She would miss them too but as deep as she could dig into her heart, she couldn't choose between the two of them. She wished Fate could choose for her so it'd be easier but the easy path was never the good one. Therefore, she fled in California where she would meet new people and fall in love all over again and maybe one day, when she'd come back, she'd see them and her heart and her mind would agree on one of them.

"I'll come to visit you, Nate and I had so much fun back there last summer." he simply said.

"I hope you will!" she cheered up. "Anyway, Blair asked me to ask if you come or not at her wedding because you didn't answer the invitation and she needs an answer."

He stared at her with eyes that were screaming 'how can you ask me that? You already know the answer.' Yet, she had asked because she wanted him to come, Blair would need support to move in Monaco and show the world she wasn't a weak and shallow Manhattan girl.

"I don't think I will. Neither Queen Sophie nor Louis would want me there. She doesn't need me to annoy her and waste her perfect day. Plus, I don't want to see her glowing while marrying another man." he said. Serena nodded and put a hand on his forearm as a sign of brotherly love. But Chuck felt the pity through that touch and moved his arm away from her. She didn't take it for herself, she knew he was like that. The only one who could really understand him and soothe him when something was wrong was Blair.

"It won't be the same without you." she said.

"I will never be the same New York without its Queen." he responded. She swallowed hardly and nodded, tears coming to her eyes. It was her fault. She shouldn't have taken her to Paris that summer, she shouldn't have let go to the Musée d'Orsay alone, she shouldn't have spent that night with Dan, she shouldn't done all that but still, none of them held anything against her. That was Fate's fault. Serena loathed Fate. So did Blair and Chuck.

_Upper East Side, back to present._

"Well, I guess it's me who have to tell you that. We had met some troubles during the operation with Miss Dupont and then with Mr Bass but everything ended up well. They're both in their rooms, they'll soon be awake." he said with a bright smile. Serena sighed of relief, as did all of the persons in the waiting room. Then he left them and they all realized the time had come – the meeting between Chuck and his long lost daughter was about to happen.

"Raina, Dan, go to Cornelia to check on her and be with her when she wakes up." Serena started. "Nate, Jenny and I will go with Chuck. We will talk to him about his donor and then about his daughter. I hope everything's going to end up fine." They should have felt relieved but they were even more stressed out about what was coming next. Serena was dreading facing Chuck, he would never forgive them. The only who would have been to soothe him was miles away across the ocean.

Raina and Dan were less stressed out – they didn't have to face big bad Chuck. They walked to Cornelia's room and crossed path with Chuck's lawyer who looked quite in a hurry. "Mr Humphrey, Missis Archibald, I'm glad to see you. Has Chuck been operated? Is he awake?" he asked them, breathless.

"You should calm, Damon, and call us by our names, I guess we know each other well enough." Dan said. "Chuck's awaking in his room, he's okay."

"Crap." Damon said.

"What's wrong?" Raina asked.

"He sent me to Paris to look for that Amelia girl but I couldn't find her. He's going to kill me now he's been operated." he explained to them. Raina and Dan exchanged a look and smiled at him.

"He isn't going to kill you. Amelia was a fake name, she's in this hospital and he will meet her as soon as they're both okay. You can breathe and relax now." Damon took a deep breath and looked better. He asked them about Cornelia but they didn't answer and told him that he would see a few hours later. Then, Damon started searching for Chuck's room and Raina and Dan went to Cornelia's.

The young French girl was all drowsy when they entered the room. Raina sat down on the bed and grabbed her hand. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at them. They both smiled back and waited for her to be ready to talk to them. It took her several minutes and then, the first thing she said was "How did it go? When can I see Chuck?".

"As soon as he's ready. The others are talking to him, then they'll come. How are you feeling?" Raina said.

"It's starting to hurt in my stomach but I'm okay." Cornelia answered.

Meanwhile, Chuck was awaking too. Ten minutes after his daughter, the Basshole was fully awake and staring at the four persons standing in front of him. He was prepared to yell at Damon for not having found Amelia in Paris but Serena cut him off.

"Chuck, I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm going to tell you. First of all, you must know it all happened thanks to Jenny and even though we kept the truth from you, it was made for your safety, your health and other persons' life and reputations. We love you, Chuck." Serena started. Chuck was fearing the worst – and the best, at the same time. Serena paused and then started telling him the whole story. It wasn't an easy story to tell and she didn't really know where to start but Nate's presence and her hand in his helped her. Damon was also listening to the story – Serena knew Chuck would eventually tell him everything and ask him to do the papers to recognize Cornelia as a Bass – and he was as surprised as Chuck to hear all that had happened. But what surprised him more was that he recognized the name of the girl – Cornelia. Was she really the young girl he had met in the plane? She must have laughed inside as he told her what he was doing in Paris!

"... So now, you know. Your daughter, Cornelia, is here. She's awake and willing to meet you." Serena said.

"Then why are we still here?" Chuck said after a long pause. Serena smiled at him and both she and Nate helped him out of the bed to the wheelchair. The three of them walked down the corridor to Cornelia's room. Damon was following them close behind, thinking about the papers he would have to do about Chuck's paternity and everything about Cornelia.

Damon opened the door and held it open for them to walk in. Cornelia, Dan and Raina were holding their breath – he was coming. The French girl had a glimpse at Damon opening the door – she laughed at the thought of the face he would do when he saw her. Chuck was the first to get in, he went next to the bed where Cornelia was lying, Serena got in, followed by Nate and then Damon who stared at Cornelia in bewilderment, but didn't say a word not to spoil the moment.

"I knew you looked too much like Blair." was the first thing Chuck managed to say.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? Was it worth the wait? ^^ Don't forget to review and tell me what you think ! :)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen.**


	14. Chapter 14

__**A/N : So here is the new chapter! I wrote this one faster thanks to your reviews that motivated me to write! I'll do my best to post soon but I have some exams to take first (next week, it'll be almost over so then I can write again :)). I don't know what you guys think of that season of GG but I start to like it more (does it have anything to do with Chuck apologising to Blair and next episode's promo where they look like they're about to kiss? Nooo, of course not.) ! I want Chair. I want the epicness back, I want Blair to throw away that stupid French boy who doesn't understand her - and who never will! Anyway, I hope you'll like that chapter :)**

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

"So, how are you doing today?" Harold asked his daughter. Blair looked up at him from her yogurt and smiled at him.

"I'm fine, Daddy, don't worry. I'll only go better, I guess. I'm more worried about Henry and the separation with his father, the divorce and the consequences on his life. I'm afraid he blames me for everything or blames his father, I wish he could get the life he deserves." she said.

"And he'll get it. You're a good mother, Blair, but carrying on with Louis would have killed you and I'm sure Henry wouldn't have been happy with it." Harold reassured her.

"Yeah, you're right. When do you think I could bring him to New York? I don't want to rush him but I'm starting to miss the city more than anything..." she whispered in order not to be heard by her son who was supposed to be sleeping.

"Soon. Let him adjust to a life without his father." he smiled at his daughter, knowing happiness was to surround her and never let her go. He still felt ashamed about what they did almost nineteen years ago, about what Chuck and Cornelia must have gone through – but he knew in the end, they'd all end up happy.

"I guess you're right. I just want to go back to my old self. I want to feel proud of myself, strong and not that weakling little thing Gossip Girl said I am. I am _not_ weak, not anymore." She said, and then added in her head _"I won't be anymore, because I'll get back my strength. I'll get him back and we will be invincible."_ But still, Blair was too weak. Her health wasn't as good as she had wished and she needed to sleep a lot more than a woman of her age. Blair was still a Grimaldi – the divorce had yet to be pronounced and she feared the royal family would do anything to take Henry away from her, _that_, she wouldn't survive.

"You will rise from the ashes as a Phoenix, Blair. You're a Waldorf and you're your mother's daughter, you have fire and rage boiling up in your blood, you just have to let the beast out and I swear, you will be more powerful and respected than ever." he told her. She rose from her seat and took him in her arms, she needed her family now. Her _whole_ family.

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, New York.<em>

**Chuck Bass, I love you. I love you so much that it consumes me.**

"Alright. That story is – well, it's very representative of my relationship with Blair. Lies, secrets, love, passion and fate. I was shocked when Serena told me your story – I'm still a bit startled though. I trust you and that story, I don't even need DNA test to recognize my own flesh and blood. The only thing I regret is not having the opportunity to meet you earlier." Chuck didn't really what to say to that young French woman. He needed to face the truth – and Blair's secret. Why hadn't she told him anything back then? He would have been there for her, he would have stood up to protect her from a too soon wedding after the loss of her child – of their child. He would have been there for her, through everything.

**The darkest thought you've ever had, the worst thing you've ever done, I'll stand by you through anything.**

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. I've been looking for you – and Blair – for the past year and I'm so – so happy to finally find you. It's unbelievable. My mother thought Blair – well, Eliza – had been raped by my birth father that's why she never wanted to tell me the truth. If she had known, be sure she would have done anything in her power to find you." Cornelia said. They had been talking for the past hours, the others were waiting outside, letting them have some kind of peace.

"I'm sure of that, too. Now, you know there's something we have left to do, right?" he asked her.

"Getting back my mother and making her better." she answered, beaming a smile at her father.

"And make us invincible. The Basses." he almost whispered the last word, as if to let mystery envelop it. Cornelia couldn't hold back a smile at that name – she was a Bass, Cornelia Bass, and that made her so proud of her origins, her parents, their fates, their paths and everything they had been through and they would go through before they could all be reunited.

"The Basses..." she repeated in a sigh, almost dreaming. She was part of something bigger than her – bigger than everything she had ever known – and that was very exciting for her.

"Yes. I need my lawyer to make the papers to recognize you officially as my daughter but nothing will be publicly announced without yours and Blair's consent, don't worry. I call him." Chuck did shout for him and Cornelia couldn't help but smirk. There would be time for explanations with Damon and she was sure that would be funny.

The lawyer came in and stood in front of Cornelia's bed, next to Chuck. He waited for Chuck to give him orders – well, usually, he wasn't that servile but he didn't know how to act in front of Chuck's daughter and now his boss had found he was a father.

"Well, Damon, why are you so shy? She's my daughter and based on that fact, she'll soon be your boss. She's still studying but as my heir, I hope she'll come to work with me at Bass Industries. So I'd like you to make papers to recognize her as my daughter and everything needed, you know. Do your best, as usual." Chuck said.

"Of course, Mr Bass." Damon answered. Chuck looked up at him in disbelief. He hadn't called him "Mr Bass" since the day they went to Vegas together, four years ago.

"Why are you acting so weird, Damon?" Chuck asked.

"I guess it's because he tried to flirt with me during the flight back to New York, of course, he didn't know who I was." Cornelia intervened, half-laughing. Damon suddenly stiffened and Chuck purposely frowned at him to make him feel more anxious.

"Well, Chuck I didn't know who she was and you must that -"

"My daughter looks like her mother – and a bit like me, I must say. Yeah, she's the most gorgeous young person you'll ever meet, you're allowed to flirt with her, Damon. Don't hurt her." he said, and then added to Cornelia "Hurt him as much as you want, but not too badly, he's a good lawyer and I kind of like him." The three of them laughed – even though Damon was still a bit anxious. He dared to finally looked straight in Cornelia's eyes, only to find amusement. Cornelia definitely looked like her father – but in an attractive way, to Damon. She had the same hurt in her eyes, the same "I hold back what I think, what I feel" look, the same smirk. Damon knew Chuck's story and knowing now Cornelia's, he realized father and daughter were far more alike than anyone would have expected.

"Well then, I think you should take me on date as soon as I get out of the hospital, to make sure I won't complain about you to Ch- my father." Cornelia said with a wide amused smile. Damon smiled back to her and nodded. That time, Chuck frowned and glared at the lawyer – yeah, he agreed that the boy could date his daughter but he wasn't joking about the "don't hurt her" threat, if Damon treated her like he treated Blair – property – then he would have to take him out. No one would hurt his daughter that way, he had realized many years ago it wasn't a way to treat the woman you love, because you could end up losing her – that's exactly what happened to him.

"Chuck, I know you wish to spend as much time as possible with Cornelia but the doctor said you both needed to rest. So, maybe you could use some sleep and then see each other afterward?" Serena said, entering the room. Chuck nodded, even though he didn't want to leave his daughter's side, and they both said their goodbyes til they woke up. Cornelia easily felt asleep and so did Chuck in his bed, thanks to the drugs Stein had given them. Otherwise, Chuck wouldn't have been able to sleep because of the plan he was slowly building – a plan to reunite his family for everyone's happiness.

**If two people are meant to be together, eventually they'll find their way back.**

* * *

><p><em>Paris.<em>

"Mom, do you think she'll come back eventually?" Maxime asked Isabelle.

"I'm sure she will." Isabelle tried to reassure her son, but she herself wasn't that much reassured. She had brought up Cornelia, she had soothed her all along those nineteen years but those persons were her biological parents, they had been fooled, they never wanted to give up for adoption. Cornelia had every right to blame them – partly. Her mother was a princess, her father was the famous and powerful CEO of a huge company, she was bound to inherit from both of them and become some kind of queen, superstar or whatever you become when you're such persons' child. Isabelle tried to teach her daughter to ignore the glitter and the glamor to prefer family and true love but she knew inside that Cornelia had always been attracted by that world.

Anyway, Cornelia was a good girl. That world might try to change her but if her parents, the people around her back there, were smart enough, she would never change radically.

"I don't trust you on that, but I hope you're right." Maxime said. "I don't want her gone, she's my big sister and I'm going to miss her if she goes to live there."

"Well, I think she will end up living there, Max. Mr Bass is a powerful man who could get her a very good job in his society, and she would be fool to refuse it. One day, I guess, she might even run that company, you know." Isabelle told her son.

"Really? But Bass Industries is – wow, it's one of the biggest company of the world. I don't see Cornelia running such a company." he exclaimed. Actually, he saw her running Bass Industries but he couldn't believe it, how could she do it, after all? She wasn't born in that world even though she belonged to it, she wasn't a shark or a manipulative bitch ready to do what has to be done to get what she wants!

"I don't know. Mr Bass is her father and she must his only heir so I guess when he dies, she'll inherit the company. Anyway, call your father, the dinner's ready." Max called his father by screaming his name from the kitchen and then sat down on his chair around the table. There was an empty seat next to him – and that hurt him.

Isabelle knew something big was about to shake their lives – someday, everyone would know who Cornelia really was and that day, their family would be under the spotlights. Isabelle would have to stand for her family, to protect them from that awful world outside and she secretly hoped Cornelia would help her too. After all, she was a Dupont before she was Waldorf-Bass.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, what did you think? We're getting closer to the end of that fanfiction.. Maybe five or six chapters! There are things I have to deal with first :) Don't forget to leave a review to tell me what you thought of that chapter ;)<strong>

**PS : I used quotes from GG and I don't even know why. They popped out into my mind when I was writing (and watching Chair vids on Youtube.. ) and I felt like putting them here!**

**Nyah-Cullen.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N : Father and daughter reunited :') Well, someone seems to want to interfere, any idea? Anyway, here is the new chapter in answer to your reviews! I just finished watching the last episode of Gossip Girl and yay! Blair finally realizing Louis may not be such a good prince! Is she going back to Chuck? I hope so! In the meantime, I also watched next episode's preview who will be fun, I guess. Chuck and Blair in therapy? ahah. :) Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter :)**

* * *

><p><em>Spotted – Chuck Bass leading a young brunette through New York. Is the resemblance with a famous future ex-princess a coincidence? Time taught me not to trust them when it comes to King of Sins. XOXO, Gossip Girl.<em>

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, New York.<em>

"So, how are you dealing with everything?" Damon asked Cornelia as they sat down in the restaurant he had brought her to. Cornelia smiled shyly at him, she wanted to talk to him, to tell everything her life had once been and was now but she had to keep it to herself – for now, at least. How could she know she could trust him?

"Well, it's amazing. Chuck is a great person, he showed me New York when we got out of the hospital, we spend hours talking about my life, his life, Blair, it's unbelievable. The only "bad thing", if I can say, is that Gossip Girl. She keeps gossiping about a relationship with Chuck, he's my father!" she said, not very loud so as not to be heard by the people eating near them.

"It's normal. Gossip Girl has always been focused on Chuck, Blair, Nate and Serena and even though we suspect she has the daughter the same age as Blake, Serena's daughter, who gossips about the kids at Constance, she will always seek gossips about them – and now, you. I bet you someone will recognize us and she'll talk about us tomorrow – or in two seconds from now." he laughed. She smiled, she didn't find it very funny. She had never been the popular girl, the one everyone was gossiping about and she didn't want to be that kind of girl.

"But when we'll reveal the secret -"

"Shhh. Don't talk about it. People could hear us. Let's talk about something more simple, something I'd love to hear about." he said, bending a little over the table to get closer to her.

"And that is?" she asked, smiling and bending a little too.

"You." he whispered. Her smile widened. She would have to go back to Paris soon, her plane would take off two days after that day and she wasn't ready to go back yet. She would have to fall back into the same routine, work, family, sleep, eat, work. No more _couture_ shopping trip, no more brunches with socialites, no more intriguing.

"Well, I guess you know everything now. I'd rather you talk about yourself." she whispered back. Their mouths were dangerously close. They had spent a lot of time together those past two weeks. When she wasn't with Chuck, she was with him or Serena but the infinite legged blond woman was very busy and the lawyer was always available for her.

"The problem is... I think you know everything too." she laughed softly. They were both lying, both holding back. She didn't tell him about Ivan, they never talked about Eleanor and what she did, about her childhood or the things that made her suffer during her life. He wouldn't tell her about his long lost brother and the loss of the woman he loved more than anything, and the baby she was carrying. They were a bunch of pain, of losses, of secrets kept hidden like an old pirate's treasure.

And yet, they both wanted each other. There was a kind of electricity between the two of them, she wanted to kiss him, right here, right now – and so did he. But none of them would make the first step. They had kissed many before that night, some they didn't even know the name but it was different this time. They wanted it to be special, they felt like it.

Damon backed off and suddenly sighed. He knew what he had to do if he wanted her to open up to him, if he wanted to really get to know the woman behind the iron armor she was wearing. He had done it once, with Chuck. He had reached the man beneath the armor, it had been a hard path but it was worth it and he was sure she was her father's daughter.

"It's a lie. You don't know nothing. Let's go somewhere more intimate, I can take you to my place if you want where we could talk. I don't want anyone to hear what I have to say and I'm sure you wouldn't want people to hear what you might feel like saying after I'm done." he said. She stiffened when she heard the tone of his voice – he sounded so sad, so pained.

"Let's go, then." they stood up and she followed him to the limo Chuck had lent them. They didn't talk until they were sitting on his couch. There was some awkward feeling between them. She knew secrets were about to be revealed and if she didn't feel ready to give them away when she entered the restaurant, she felt ready then, her head laying on his chest as he was telling her everything.

_Spotted – Chuck Bass's new protégé leaving a restaurant after two minutes with Bass Industries' lawyer. Is there some manipulation out there to take down the Empire? Only time will tell. XOXO, Gossip Girl._

"Now, you know. My younger brother disappeared three years ago, he was a Marine fighting for his country in Iraq. I can't stop missing him and I hope he'll come back someday but I don't have lots of faith in it. My wife and our baby died six years ago in a car crash. She was driving back from her parents' house in Boston when a drunk driver hit her." he stopped. He could hear her cries. She was crying for him, for his brother, his wife and his baby. Gosh, she was such a mess now. He held her tighter against him, feeling the tears stirring from his own eyes.

"I'm so – so sorry." she managed to say between her sobs. "I had no idea... My god, Damon, I can't imagine what you've been through all these years." she raised her eyes to look at him. She wanted to take away his pain, to help him deal with it.

"It's not your fault, Cornelia." he said. She put a hand to his cheek and stared at him. He was so gorgeous, even in pain. How could a woman not be attracted by those icy blue eyes?

"I swear I won't let anything hurt you again." she murmured before she tenderly kissed his lips. He kissed her back, fiercely, hardly as if to hurt her, to scare her enough to make her run away from him but she wouldn't. She wasn't scared at all by him and even if he was threatening her in every way possible, she wouldn't be. She trusted him now, he had bared his soul to her during the last hour and that was all she needed.

"I know," he whispered, breathing heavily as their lips separated, "and I think I'm falling for you, Cornelia."

She smiled at him and kissed him again, showing him he wasn't the only falling.

* * *

><p><em>Two days later, Upper East Side.<em>

"So the plan is : I go back to Paris, I spend like a week with my adoptive family, explaining them everything, I study and then you all come there and we go to Blair, right?" Cornelia asked.

"That's the plan." Serena confirmed. "Damon, is everything settled about Chuck's paternity?"

"Yep. Cornelia signed the papers, now we need Blair's signature and we will be able to announce it to the world." Damon said. He grabbed Cornelia's hand and squeezed it, knowing he wouldn't see her for at least a week. She squeezed his hand back, resisting the urge to look at him and kiss him.

"Everything's okay then. I think I should get going, my plane is in two hours and I don't want to miss it." Cornelia said.

"I come with you," Damon rushed to say. "you guys cannot accompany her or someone will suspect something. Gossip Girl is already on us."

"She's on me too." Chuck interrupted. "But I understand. I don't want Blair to read Gossip Girl and think I replaced her with her dead ringer!" He went to Cornelia, leaning a bit on his stick, to hug her. He had a daughter. He still couldn't believe it, he had an heir, a beautiful grown-up woman who seemed to be made to take his place at the top of Bass Industries. He would never have dared to dream about such an amazing thing. He had _family_ – except Serena and the part of his family he didn't want to hear about ever again – and that was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"I'm going to miss you," she said, looking Chuck in the eyes, "_all_ of you." she added, turning to the others.

"We should get going, Cornelia." Damon said. She nodded and gave a warm hug to her father and then to all the ones crowded there to say goodbye. She still couldn't realize how much her life had changed – and was about to change. She had signed papers that made her Cornelia _Bass_ – well, actually, she was Cornelia Bass-Dupont, as they agreed to show some respect to the family that had brought her up. Besides, when Blair signed the papers and if she agrees, she would add the _Waldorf_ name to her. A very long name for an unusual girl, everyone would respect her as an heir to New York's monarchy. She would be on Fashion week's front rows, she would befriend with all the persons she saw on newspapers, she would... My God, what had she become? She was – to keep polite – a _bitch. _Cornelia smiled at that thought, she actually kind of liked it.

"What are you thinking about?" Damon asked her as the limo was almost arrived at the airport.

"I think I like that life, except one detail." Cornelia said, looking at the airport through the window.

"What's it?"

"Gossip Girl. I read posts from her about my parents. I hate her." she said, her voice hiding a barrel of anger and lust and revenge.

"I understand, but you cannot fight Gossip Girl." he said, almost laughing. She glared at him and her gaze froze his blood, she looked so terrifying, as if she was about to attack him.

"So you think. I'm going to take Gossip Girl _down._" She focused back on the airport and Damon stared at her. She was a Hell of a woman! He had heard about Blair from Chuck and even though he couldn't believe him according to what he heard or saw on TV, he believed him now. Cornelia had inherited fire from her mother – and her father.

"You know what? If someone can do that, it must be you." he whispered in her ear before kissing her on the cheek.

She turned around, smiling and cupped his face with her hands before kissing him almost savagely. She was going to freaking miss him but they knew that in the end, their reunion would be even better.

* * *

><p><em>Spotted – The New Girl in town leaving. Did I scare her – or was it Big Bad Sinner's fault? Watch out, New Girl, if can't stand us, you can't be a part of this world. So, Farewell or, see you soon? XOXO, Gossip Girl.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>The wait is ALMOST over guys! Next chapter (I haven't written it yet but if it's not in chapter 16, it'll be in chapter 17), you'll finally get Blair back to her true family and friends ;) Don't forget to leave me a review to tell me what you thought of that chapter :)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: No, as you can all see, I'm not dead - nor is this story! I'll keep writing when I have time, so here is the new chapter! The one everyone's expecting : THE MEETING! I won't spoil you guys so enjoy this chapter! ;) I got some remarks on the relationship between Cornelia and Damon, when I re-read the lasts chapters, I understood what you guys meant - I shouldn't have written it! I'll try not to write too much fluffy Damon/Cornelia! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Paris, the suburbs.<em>

"Are you sure they know where we are? They'll find it very small and all. Why don't you meet in the center of Paris?" Isabelle had spent the whole week asking her adoptive daughter about the New Yorkers and her life there. Now, she was worrying about their arrivals at her place and everything about them, actually.

"Stop worrying, mom! They're normal people and they'll be too worried about what's going to happen with Blair to care about the size or the decoration of our house. Besides, they are really nice people." Cornelia said, but she was stressed too. She missed them – more than words could say. She was dying to meet her mother, she wanted to kiss – and more – Damon, to see Serena's reassuring smile and Dan's intrigued frown, she wanted to laugh at Nate's clumsiness. Yeah, she really did miss them.

"So you say. I bet they're just a bunch of hypocrite and bitchy people. Like the one you're becoming, Cornelia. Or would you rather I call you C or Miss Waldorf-Bass?" Maxime ironically said. He wasn't in the mood of seeing them – or even Cornelia. He blamed her for everything that was going wrong in his life at that moment – his bad results in class, his father's mood, his friends laughing at him for his dental apparel, etc.

"Maxime!" Isabelle exclaimed. "Don't talk that way to your sister. She may have changed in some ways but it's normal after all, she's also growing up, you'll end up changing too."

"She is no sister to me." he muttered before leaving the living room where everyone was waiting for the Americans to arrive. Daniel stood up to yell something at him but Cornelia stopped him. She understood her brother's mood and didn't hold it against him. She checked her phone and see no new message from the New Yorkers. Their plane had landed two hours ago – Serena, Damon and Chuck all sent her a text to tell her.

Suddenly, the bell rang. Cornelia was first to rush to the door. Isabelle and Daniel both took time to give a quick glance through the window to see how they looked like. After that, they exchanged a look, they looked like old farmers compared to the people coming.

"Oh Gosh I missed you!" Cornelia said, running in Chuck's arms, and then hugging everyone, finishing with Damon. She stared at him in the eyes, enjoying the sight of him, the feeling of his arms around her small body and the warmth of him invading her before none of them could resist it anymore – they kissed. That resembled a lot to their first kiss, even more full of passion and unfulfilled lust. They needed each other – physically, emotionally.

"Mom, Dad, come. I'd like to introduce you to – well, my father, Chuck Bass and my – aunt? Serena and her husband, Dan. Here is Nate Archibald and his wife Raina and the last but not the least, Chuck's lawyer, Damon Salvatore." Cornelia told them.

"It's nice to finally meet you, please, come in." Isabelle invited them. Cornelia couldn't help but smiling at the sight of her family – biological and adoptive – reunited. There were only two persons missing – Maxime and Blair. After a few minutes, the first one eventually went down in the living room to greet the newcomers. Cornelia introduced him to all of them and they carried on talking. Isabelle and Daniel were very worried about their daughter, who were those persons after all? They had lied, cheated and betrayed one another several times, their reputation followed them – they were said cupid, eager of power and other many things not pretty. But time passing by, Isabelle couldn't make out any of those flaws out of them.

"Well, I just got a text from Jenny." Serena said. "Eleanor called her – she went for a walk on the Pont de l'Alma, she won't be there before an hour or two."

"Then we should get going." Cornelia said, standing up. "Dad, Mom, we'll come back later." The way she said was awkward, as if she hesitated on the word _"back",_ she did want it, didn't she? For now, all she actually wanted was to finally meet her biological mother.

* * *

><p><em>Paris, around le Pont de l'Alma.<em>

They walked hastily along the streets of Paris, their hearts were pounding in their chest – how long had it been since they last saw her? Too many years, nineteen for most of them, only eight for Serena and Dan. She was there, near, Chuck could feel her, her scent – still Chanel n°5 after all these years -, her presence. He couldn't walk faster – it would have been running otherwise. God, he had missed her so much. Now he was so close, he should be able to wait a few minutes more in order to make it perfect – but he couldn't. He was Chuck Bass and half of his heart, his soul had been missing for almost two decades. He needed it back – so freaking much. In the battle of surviving the separation, he hadn't won – but neither had she -, he had made it through thanks to them, their friends and mostly thanks to the young woman walking behind him as fast as him in heels as high as her mother's.

"Chuck! Walk slower! If we make it before her, there won't be no effect of surprise!" Serena shouted at him, breathing heavily.

He paused and turned around to wait for the others. Cornelia was already by his side. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. He smiled back at her and hugged her tightly, squeezing her petite body, holding onto her because she was his family, her blood and flesh and he loved her so much. She was his baby and even though he hadn't watched her growing up, he could picture it in his mind, he could picture her wicked smirk at the young age of six, the same as his, staring back at him in the mirror, more than thirty years ago.

"Chuck..." it was a faint whisper coming from his left. He raised his head and saw Serena staring at him with shocked eyes and mouth wide open. He let go of Cornelia who suddenly froze, mimicking Serena's expression.

He slowly turned around, dreading what – or better, who – was behind him. It was like in the movies, the slow motion of the camera, the silence surrounding the hero and finally, the face everyone was staring at.

And there she was. After two decades, the loss of a baby, sickness, bulimia, the birth of a boy, the reappearance of a daughter, weddings, birthdays, love, hatred, passion – or its lack – and mostly pain, she was standing in front of them all, perched on Manolo Blahnik, holding tightly her little Dior bag against her Diane von Furstenberg coat. She was so thin, so small compared to the huge pond she was standing on.

"Blair!" Chuck gasped in shock. He made a few steps toward her but she backed away and tried not to look at him. She looked like a scared animal in front of the hunter.

"Blair, don't be scared. It's just us. We came here to see you, we missed you so much, B!" Serena said, rushing to take Blair in her arms. But she didn't hug her back first.

"S, I told you I would come back when I'm ready. I'm glad to see you but – but it's a lot to take in." Blair said in a low voice. She sounded so weak! Serena grabbed her hand and smiled at her. Her bestfriend's face hadn't changed in all those years, still the same brown eyes, chocolate curls, deep dimples waiting for a smile to appear and the soft and petite shape of her body.

"I'm sorry. We so wanted to see you!" Serena, always the cheerful blond girl – well, she was back to her old self with her best friend around.

"It's okay. What's Chuck doing here? And who's she?" Blair whispered to her friend. But Chuck and Cornelia heard her, they exchanged a look and Blair mistook it for what it wasn't. All she had wanted the past months was to rush back to New York – and to Chuck – but here he was! Standing in front of her with a girl that looked exactly like her to _gloat._ He was happy? Fine, she would prove him she was too anyway.

"He came for you and so did she." Serena explained. "There's a lot to talk about, do you know some place where we could go talking?"

"I do. But I'm not sure I want her to come, I don't any of Chuck's bitches around me. I spent a lifetime getting rid of girls who thought they were "_just like me_" because they had spent a night with him and thought he had broken their heart." Blair muttered. She was back from the shock now, she knew what she wanted – and she didn't want to have to bear that girl's presence. She was Blair Waldorf, she had been Princess of Monaco, she was the mother of a ten-year old and after all, she was ready to take back her title of Queen Bee.

"B, she's part of the story we all came here to tell you. I swear Chuck never kissed or had sex with her, what you saw was nothing. She's dating the cute blue-eyed dark-haired man behind me and she has no reason to cheat on him, I swear you have to let her come or you'll regret it." Serena pleaded.

"Fine." Blair conceded. "I know a place close to here, follow me. Take my arms and help me, I'm feeling a bit drowsy." Serena grabbed her arm and started walking, the other following close behind. She dared a glance at her friend, she looked very pale. They shouldn't have surprised her that much, they were outnumbering her and she might feel a bit surrounded.

"Do you think she actually saw us?" Dan asked Nate low enough for Blair not to hear. Nate shrugged, he was a bit surprised Blair hadn't acknowledged their presence. Dan and he had been her best friends too, and once lovers, she may not have noticed them, too preoccupied by Chuck and Cornelia's presence.

"I think she's still not quite her old self, give her some time. She hasn't forgotten you two, I'm sure." Raina tried to reassure them, even if she wasn't quite an expect in Blair Waldorf's behavior. The men nodded, lost in their thoughts.

"Give me a hint, I don't want to be too startled by what you guys are about to tell me." Blair asked Serena.

"I can't, it would give everything away and I want you to be sitting down when we tell you all this. Oh, well, I think there's a little something I can tell you, B, Chuck came to win you back, but hush, I didn't say anything, right?" Serena murmured. Blair nodded and glanced at Chuck, walking behind them. He had changed somehow but maturity – or the look of it – suited him perfectly. She couldn't hold back a smile, so she was wrong, he hadn't come to gloat. He was there for her.

"It took him long enough!" Blair sighed, almost laughing as Serena rolled her eyes.

"I'm so glad to see you smile, B. I mean, a genuine smile, not the lifeless smiles you gave to the medias when you were in Monaco." Serena said, tightening her hold on Blair's arm.

_Spotted – the Non-Judging Breakfast Club plus four all reunited in the city of lovers – can it be the sign of a reborn flame? The New Girl seems to be in the way, or is she? Some say Chuck looks at her with father love eyes but some say, according to her looks, that she's the new Queen Bee of us all. I guess we'll have to wait and C! XOXO, Gossip Girl._

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you think? Now they finally met but the talk is still to come! Anyway, this story - well, the meeting actually - hasn't turned as I was picturing it in my mind (I had been thinking of Blair sitting on a bench, reading some romantic novel and Chuck arriving and her, surprised and shocked, falling into his embrace. I don't know which one is better, tell me?).<strong>

**Next chapter : The TALK! ;)**

**Nyah-Cullen.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: It's been so long since my last post! I checked, it was in january - I'm so sorry guys! I was so disappointed by this season's episode, I couldn't get any inspiration out of it and my school didn't let me time to try to gather it. Anyway, I'm finding my inspiration in my new hatred toward Dan Humphrey and my faith in Chair. Please, writers of the show, make Chair the endgame - Blair has to come back to her senses! Well, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

"I think Dan, Nate, Raina, Damon and I are going to leave you alone, you need to talk and we shouldn't be there." Serena told Blair once they arrived all in front of a small pub lost in Paris. "We'll talk later, B. We have some much to catch on!"  
>"You're right. But does she really have to stay? S, Chuck and me alone, having the talk.. I'm not sure I'm ready yet." Blair said, looking away.<br>"She does, B, and you need this as much as he does. Please, do something for you, once in two decades, it wouldn't hurt so much, right? We'll see you later." Serena hugged her and then walked away, waving at her. The others followed behind the tall blond while Chuck and Cornelia stayed there with Blair, feeling awkward.  
>"Stop staring at me that way." Blair spat out at Cornelia. Startled, she looked away but knew inside that she would have done the same in her place. Chuck held back a smile, his beloved Blair and her temper seemed not to have changed. "Let's go inside and get done with the talk." She said, pushing the door of the pub.<br>Chuck winked at Cornelia and they both followed Blair inside to a table she seemed to be accustomed to sit at and then all sat down. They ordered drinks and an awkward silence fell between them.  
>"So, Chuck, Serena told me you needed to talk to me and that she had to be here too." Blair obviously had a bad feeling about Cornelia. She felt like that girl could steal away all she once had and wanted back - her title of Queen, her fashion sixth sense, her wit, her reputation, her friends and, well, Chuck. She really didn't like her.<br>"First of all, I'm sorry, Blair. I should have come to you sooner, I shouldn't even have let you go, I should have known he wouldn't make you happy, that we were the only ones that were meant to be." He put his hand on hers and she winced. It was all rushing back to her, the butterflies, the head spinning, the chills, the ache in her chest and the burn on her skin left by his touch.  
>"You sacrificed us for me, for a happiness I thought I'd have with Louis. I used to be happy with him and he gave all I ever wanted, a child but I don't want to talk about all this in front of her. Tell me what you have to." She said. She didn't even looked at Cornelia, too absorbed in Chuck and not wanting to award her the privilege of her sight on her.<br>"I recently learned something, that nineteen years ago, you gave birth to a girl. Please, let me finish," Chuck said when he saw Blair was about to cut him off. "I know that baby was ours and I understand why you didn't tell me back then, I don't want to waste our time together blaming us one another. I don't how to say it, I think I'll just spit it out. Well, the girl sitting right here is French, her name is Cornelia and she was adopted nineteen years. Blair, our daughter didn't die that day."

Blair winced again and then slowly turned to face Cornelia who couldn't help but smiling. She raised a weak hand toward her face, almost shaking in apprehension, and touched her daughter's cheek. Cornelia put her hand on hers, feeling her mother's skin against hers for the first time.  
>"How.. ?" Was the only thing Blair managed to say. Chuck let her a few seconds to realize what was happening and then started to answer Blair's question by telling her the whole story, from the day she gave birth to Cornelia to the present day.<p>

"I - I can't believe she did that." Blair stuttered, tears starting to stream down her cheeks. Her own mother did betray her and that hurt, that hurt so much she couldn't breathe. She could have had a chance at true happiness - for the last twenty years, she hadn't been able to truly be happy because of that pain in the back of her mind, the loss of that baby of her and Chuck. She had made a deal with Fate back then, she remembered. If the baby survived, if she was fine, she would go back to Chuck and leave Louis and Monaco behind. And she didn't.  
>"It's okay, Blair. We're finally reunited." When Chuck said that, Blair literally burst into tears and fell into his arms. He held her as close as possible, wanting to shield her, to soothe away the pain and dry her so beautiful brown eyes. He ran his fingers through her soft curls, then down her back. She was so thin, so fragile in her arms, she had lost so much weight, he thought he could have broken her by making a single wrong move.<br>"Why didn't you tell me? I would have come back.. I would have wanted to know if you were dying, Chuck. I would have wanted to at least say goodbye." Blair said between two sobs. "Thank you." She added to Cornelia. "Thank you for saving him, for looking for us and bringing us back together. You truly are a part of our family, I'm sorry for being rude earlier." Cornelia smiled at her and reached out to hug her. Blair took her long lost daughter in her arms, feeling her skin against hers, her flesh recognizing her sibling.  
>"You had every right to be angry. It's all forgiven, I'm so happy to have finally found you." Cornelia told them.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Spotted – The Queen, the Dark Knight and the New Girl reunited. I hear your WTFs, but FYI, I shall be yelling OMG to the news we're all expecting – and gossiping about. XOXO, Gossip Girl. <em>

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere else in Paris<em>

"How do you think it is going?" Nate asked.

"It's going great, I'm sure. Blair and Chuck have been away from each other for far too long. Besides, Cornelia will be the center of Blair's attention, I can't wait to talk to Blair about all this!" Serena said, her eyes shining of joy. Dan was staring at her, with her best friend back, the old joyful Serena was back too. He hadn't seen her so happy since the birth of their last daughter. He was slightly smiling at the sight of the woman he loved, the woman who happened to be his soulmate, his first love and his last. Years ago, he had fallen for the small brunette, her best friend, but he came to understand he was no match to Blair Waldorf – he couldn't handle her, he could understand her, soothe her but he would never be able to light her fire and deal with the consequences, deal with the Devil inhabiting her body. The day of her wedding, Dan lost faith and when he turned his head away from the bride, he caught a glimpse at the stunning and still sad bridesmaid by her side. He danced with her that night, he talked to her and learned to know the woman she had become and then he understood she was the one for him.

"She is not back with Chuck yet, is she?" Raina asked.

"You really don't know them. They won't be together for at least a year, they'll scheme, manipulate, destroy, hate, love, talk, make out and one day, they'll decide it has to stop and Chuck will propose to her and she'll say yes." Serena laughed.

"Yeah, that's likely to happen, but I think Cornelia will push them to go a little bit faster." Nate said. "Jenny, I think you'll be Chuck and Blair's hero now."

"Well, if I hadn't been there that night, I'm not sure they would have split the way they did – Blair wouldn't have gone to Paris, met Louis and all. They might be happily married for twenty years if it wasn't for me." Jenny said.

"I don't think so. Chuck had to grow up and losing Blair was the only way for him to and Blair needed to make mistakes for once!" Serena exclaimed. "She wasn't so sure Chuck was made for her – they loved each other but she had doubts, what about marriage, children and all? She wasn't sure they were compatible in that way. Now she knows they are, she doesn't see a life without him and he doesn't either." Serena had noticed the way Dan looked at Blair that day and even though she loved her best friend, she still resented her a bit about what happened years ago, before the wedding and she was afraid her husband might have fallen back once again.

"Chuck surely had to grow up but as for Blair, I'm not sure. She's always seemed so sure of what she felt about everyone, but I guess you must be right after all, I don't see any other explanations." Dan said, running a hand through his gray hair. He didn't see Serena's dark glance, but Nate did and some kind of instinct raised up in him – why did he always have to be the knight in shining armor who wanted to help the damsel in distress?

"Anyway, they're together now, talking and I'm sure by the end of this year, we'll all be attending New York's greatest and biggest wedding." Raina concluded, feeling some tension in the room. She never liked Nate's friend, they were one of the reasons why she convinced him into not moving back to New York after their first kid's birth. He wanted Angie to be close to her grandparents and even though Raina was all for family bonding, she didn't want her to bond with the VDW-Humphrey girls. Too bad for her, Angie, Taylor, Blake and Emily were like brother and sisters.

"You're right." Dan said. "I'd go for a walk, anyone?" He got no answer – It-girls didn't go for a walk, he should have known that by now, high heels didn't allow them to wander around big cities. "Well, I guess I'm going to go on my own. Call me when they're back, please." And so he went out. Dan Humphrey, that damned lonely boy, never thought he'd fall again into Blair's trap. She was still so thin, but so beautiful, so magnificent! She was a true Queen of Hearts and even if he used to think he had gotten over her with Serena, he never actually did. He would die for her and as he watched the sun going down on the capital city, he almost wished he was. Paris was an amazing city, full of museum, café and you couldn't get bored there. It was a town for lovers, he should be holding hands with Serena, loving her, she was so perfect – but that was not enough for him. Blake and Emily made him happier than ever, but he wished they had Blair's brown curls and not Serena's blond ones. Lost in his thoughts and wandering unconsciously, Dan didn't see the person following him, nor the last ray of sun reflecting on the blade of his knife.

* * *

><p><strong>Haha! What's going to happen to Dan Dearest? And what about all the other characters, what are your guesses? I think I'm going to write a bit more about them, since I started to like a little bit more Nate and Serena in the show lately (is it because of Blair's stupidity and my newly hatred toward Dan? Yep, I think so.). Anyway, I'll try to write more soon! I missed writing so much! See ya ;)<strong>

**Nyah-Cullen**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This time, I updated soon! I was soo inspired by this last episode! Chair will be endgame, I'm so sure! I want a Chair wedding, baby Bass running (and ruling!) all over the UES! I also want Dan to go away, from B AND S! Poor S, she can be a bitch but she's so miserable... Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter, another one might come soon if I still have inspiration :) (I dare say I will, GG ended with Chair, TVD ended on a promise of Delena and HIMYM ended on the Barney/Robin wedding :), so I'm more than happy!)**

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, Manhattan<em>

"Of course, Serena. I'll handle them – all. Don't worry about us, you already have enough to worry about." Lily said on the phone. "I will call them, too. We will be expecting you at the airport tomorrow. Take care." She hung up, closed her eyes and sighed. Rufus was in another room, reading some old book. Blake and Emily were in Serena's old room, playing with her old clothes. They were still so young and still so old. She didn't know how she could break the news to her husband and even worse, how could she tell the poor children?

"Rufus?" she asked as she entered the living room. "There is something I need to tell you." Rufus raised his head from the book and looked up at her. When he saw her face, he knew she was going to tell him some bad news – he never expected what she was about to say.

* * *

><p><em>Paris<em>

"How is she?" Blair asked as soon as she walked in the room.

"She's been crying all night." Raina said. "Nate is with her, he didn't leave her side since the news broke in. His presence seems to soothe her a bit, but I think she needs you."

Blair nodded and thanked Raina before heading to Serena's room. They were staying at Eleanor and Cyrus'. Blair had had to go to sleep late last night, she dozed off, Serena in her arms, and Chuck had had to carry her to her room.

"S? It's me, B. How are you dealing with the news?" Blair said as she entered the room and then sat next to Serena and Nate, all cuddled up. "It's okay if you want to take a break and sleep a bit. I'm taking care of her."

Nate glanced at Serena's poor body wrapped up in his arms in a fetal position. It was so obvious he didn't want to leave her but he needed to rest to be strong enough to support her. He didn't say a word to Blair, he stood up carefully enough not to disturb Serena and kissed her forehead. He left like that, leaving the still so fragile Blair to handle her best friend at her worst.

"It's going to be okay, S." Blair said as she took Nate's place. Blair had been a bit shaken up by the news of Dan's murder. Yes, Dan had been savagely murdered in the dawning streets of Paris for some money and his engagement ring. Nobody heard him scream, he died silently, lonely. His assassin seemed to hate him pretty hard, why did he stab him so many times? The police was working on it, but the damaged was already done and the poor blond woman was destroyed. She had loved Dan so much, he had hurt her so bad when he first refused to be with her because he was in love with Blair – couldn't he have seen how out he was? Blair never was made to walk the streets of Brooklyn. She was a freaking socialite, a Queen of Hearts and Scheme and most of all, her hearts had been torn between an Emperor and a prince. They had never been meant for each other and he died knowing it, facing it for the first time of his life.

"Why him, B? Why now? We're all together, happiness was eventually coming back into our lives – why now? How will Blake and Emily survive and grow up without a father?" Serena sobbed. Blair caressed her hair, trying to soothe her best friend. She had missed her so much, she wished she could share her newly found joy. She had a grown-up daughter and one day, she would be known as Mrs Bass. But now wasn't a time for wedding and birth, it was a time for funeral and black dresses.

"Do you think we will let you down? We won't. We're the Non-Judging Breakfast Club. Chuck will teach them to be carefully with boys, they are all bad intentioned and Nate will show them he's wrong because Bad Boys can turn out to be perfect." Blair told her softly. Serena's wet and red eyes stared at her. It was good to have Blair by her side, but she wanted Nate's arms back. She remembered her horrible hangovers, every time she was too drunk to walk, he had always helped her out, carried out to her bed or to the bathroom. His arms were a safe place for her.

"I've missed you, B. I sometimes wish Dan had never landed eyes upon your face, I would have kept him all to myself that way. Vanessa never were a threat to me – you were. He loved you, you know. He never stopped, I think I was his second best choice and the only way to stay close enough to you to get you if you ever divorced Louis. Yesterday was too much to take in for him, that's why he went out for a walk." Serena told her, wiping away a few tears. "I don't blame you. I only blame myself for being such a fool and love him – and now, he's gone forever and I'm on my own." She buried her hair in Blair's prominent collarbone, breathing the soft scent of Chanel n°5.

"S, I'm so sorry. I never meant for him to fall for me. Dan was a good friend to me but that was all, I never was ambiguous about our relationship. I'm so sorry. I wish he had not gone out that night, I never knew the streets of Paris were so dangerous... I'm sorry." Blair didn't know what to say. She never thought he would fall for her. She only had eyes for Louis and Chuck – well, mostly Chuck.

"Do you want me to go, to leave you alone? I would understand." Blair murmured. Serena parted with her best friend and looked up at her.

"Could you call Nate back, please? I don't know how he does this, but he calms me down." Serena lied, she knew why he calmed her down. He had become her closest friend after Blair's departure to Monaco. Chuck had been slowly falling since that day and Nate was her only remaining sane friend. They talked almost every week – about their work, their marriage, their kids, their lives and their two best friends moving closer to the edge of the cliff.

"I will. Someday, it'll stop hurting, I can tell you. You will move on from your life, you will meet someone else and you will be happy, I can assure you that." Blair comforted her.

"Did you stop hurting from the loss of your baby? I mean, before yesterday." Serena asked her, her voice a bit cracked up.

"No. But losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to someone. You can't imagine it until you've been through it." Blair said, almost coldly. She kissed Serena on the cheek and left the room, looking for Nate.

* * *

><p><em>My dear UES, we today are mourning our lonely dead boy. Please wear black - but wear it S style. XOXO, Gossip Girl.<em>

* * *

><p><em>Paris, two hours later.<em>

"Are you okay, Blair?" Chuck asked her. "What Serena told you must have shaken you up. I wished it didn't go that way. This week was supposed to be about us finding each other again, being happy with our daughter, Cornelia."

"I know. I share your feeling, but I'm fine. You should worry about Serena, she's the one who's lost her husband." Blair told him. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. They were alone in the living room, everyone was asleep upstairs. They could not close even an eye.

"And Raina might kill her if she doesn't release Nate. There was always a spark between those two and I can't figure out why she chose Dan and he chose that bitchy girl." Chuck spat out. He didn't like Raina, he never did. She reminded him too much of Blair and not in a good way. Where Blair was a person, she wasn't.

"You can't explain what one's heart feels." she said. She wearing a purple silk nightgown and a smooth velvet matched robe over it and even that covered, she was shivering of cold. Chuck looked down and noticed she was bare feet, as always. Blair was either perched on stilettos or bare feet. He grabbed a plaid laying on the couch and leaned to wrap her feet up into it. A bit startled, she backed off a little her feet and then, understanding, she let him do as he wanted. She smiled at him.

"Thanks. I know I should wear slippers but since it has been out of fashion, I can't find any that would fit." she confessed, almost blushing. Blair was a little girl when she was around Chuck, she didn't want to appear vain or unworthy of his love and his fight for her, only because she knew she wouldn't survive it if he left her.

"It wouldn't be you if you started wearing some granny slippers just to be warm. Blair Waldorf is a it-girl, you shouldn't be blushing." How could he truly win her back? They loved each other – they never stopped – but were they still in love? It had been so many years of pain they didn't know how to be happy anymore. Who was that man in front of her? Who was that woman? They had changed, life had hurt them and stabbed them in the back, they were not the old Chuck and Blair. She had had a son with another man and they had found out they had a daughter in common – a nineteen year-old daughter who would soon be the next UES it-girl.

"You know I still feel the same way as many years ago, Chuck. I don't think we should get back together so soon, though. I'm not ready to face the world about our relationship or even the UES. I want to go back with you all and Henry. He's in Monaco for now but I will fight tooth and nails to make sure he lives with me." she said.

"And I will help you do so." he put a hand on her bare thigh, only to show her some support but it had another effect on both of them. Electricity. Fire. Storm raging in their heads. Butterflies fluttering in their stomachs. It was _it_, all over again. He wanted to possess her so bad, to feel her bare body under his – and she was craving for the same.

But they wouldn't give in. Not now, not so soon, not without a bit of_ a fight_. He came to Paris to _win_ her back, not to take her for granted. She wanted to go back to Manhattan to push away all the girls that were gravitating around him like preys, to _reconquer_ her place in their empire. No, they wouldn't give in, for now. The wait would be worth it and when they do it, they would shake the Empire to its foundations, bring it to ashes thanks to the boiling lust restrained for too many years and they would surely hear their screams and moans to Monaco – Chuck will make sure of that.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? I don't want Blair and Chuck to go back together so soon... It would be a mistake I guess. I want to have fun with them first! :) Anyway, I KILLED DAN HUMPHREY! And I'm happy about it :) I hope he won't survive season 6... <strong>

**See you soon, **

**Nyah-Cullen.**


	19. Chapter 19

OMG guys it's been over a year since I last published a chapter... I'm so sorry for letting you down. But I promised I'd finish this story and I swear, I will! Even if it takes me a decade ^^ I miss the show so much, as you all do, I guess. Well, a short chapter but I'll try to write more soon. I still hate Dan - even if he makes S happy and all. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and do not forget to review (even if it's to yell at me for not writing sooner! ahah).

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side<em>

The funeral was something really simple, friends and family only. Serena was, as usual, stunning, in her black Valentino dress. She was clinging onto Blair's arm. They both looked so small and vulnerable, all dressed up in black, wearing big black sunglasses to hide the black circles around their eyes.

Blake and Emily were following close behind their mother, walking between the Archibald kids. Blake was squeezing his sister's hand, he was more Chuck than Dan and so, you couldn't guess any emotion on his face. His red eyes were the only proof of his deep sadness. Emily's despair was obvious. She couldn't focus her stare on anything; she looked around like a trapped beast. She was so frightened, so lost without her father.

Who killed her father? Why? He had never hurt anyone – but someone decided he did not deserve to live anymore. Emily Humphrey had had everything for her. She was her mother's portrait – too pretty to be ignored, to tall not to be noticed. But she looked so weak today.

Emily glanced at the person behind her. Taylor Archibald gave her a little smile. She blushed and turned around. She shouldn't look at him that way. She was six and he was seven. She knew he saw her as a little girl, but she had a little voice in her telling her when they grow up, things would be different. But now wasn't the time to think about this kind of stuff. Her father was _dead_. He was _shot_.

"Daniel Humphrey was a husband, a father, a son, a brother and a dear friend. He was one of the best writers of his time but life was taken away from him. Life as we all knew it will never be again." The priest started. Blake gritted his teeth hearing that man he had never seen or known talking about his father. He did _not_ know him. How could he talk about him? None of them was a believer. Blair had once been, his father had told him, but that time was over. They were all born with a silver spoon in their mouth but that doesn't mean God had blessed them. No, God let them fall as soon as they were born. They had everything, but life had not been that easy to them – just take a look at Blair.

Emily was sitting on Chuck's lap, her tiny body curled up against his. She was hiding her face in his neck, hiding her tears. Uncle Chuck, as she called him, had been always been by her side. He was holding her tight, trying to be tough for the little girl. She would need his help, as Serena would need Blair's.

"Uncle Chuck, why did they send Daddy to heaven?" Emily kept asking that question, to anyone who would listen to her. Serena usually started crying. Blair looked away to hide the wetness in her eyes. Nate took her in his arms. Blake did the same and told her to stay strong. Taylor took her to play with her dolls. Rufus avoided the little's gaze and just softly stroked her hair. Lily told her bad people always tried to hurt them and then left, not knowing what to say. Maybe Chuck would know, Emily thought. Chuck always knew everything.

"I don't know, my little Lily. I wish I had all the answers to your question, I wish I could bring your Daddy back but I can't. Even I can't do that. But I swear we will catch the villains and put them behind strong iron bars so as to make sure they do not send anyone else to heaven." Emily stared at him. It wasn't the answer she was expecting, nor the one who would make her happy. But it did make her better.

Blair glanced at Chuck. He had changed but she had the weird feeling he remained the same. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She never imagined Chuck playing the role of a father. He was the reckless alcoholic boy who stole her heart and kept the nightmares away – but now he had become the man who would keep her heart and body safe, who would take care of her and her children. She trusted with not only her life but also her children's.

"Did they find who did this?" Cornelia whispered to Damon. They were sitting a few seats behind her parents. She did not cry, nor did Damon. They did not know Dan well enough to cry for him but Cornelia put herself in the kids' shoes and felt more than sorry. If someone had taken her recently found father or mother, she would hunt them down and kill them – very _slowly_.

"I don't think so. Last time I checked, the police was following the trail of a strange lonely man. I'll call them later, we all want the truth." He said. She nodded and he kissed her collarbone. She would have shivered if they were not at a funeral, and if Blake Humphrey was not climbing the stairs to make his speech.

"To all you hypocrites. The front row knows my father even though my mother is quite more used to front rows than my father was. You don't know him, your cries are vain just as mine are useless to bring him back. I heard you talking, saying he did not deserve this. Well, you're right about that. My father never deserved to die that way. He was supposed to grow old with my mother, to know his grandchildren and to teach me how to write a proper essay. He did not. He will never. But I will not complain. I will know by heart every brothel of New York or I will become a charming prince thanks to my uncles. You are not allowed to cry if you did not know him, hear me? My name is Blake Humphrey and I will miss you, Daddy, more than anything." He ran a hand through his hair and messed it up. New York was warned, no one should mess with the Serena's son. He touched the wooden coffin where his father's body laid. He paused, staring at the golden inscription. "Daniel Humphrey". A small tear started to fall down his cheek. He had not allowed himself to cry, until now.

"Ahem, well, thank you Blake." The priest said. He gave a sorry look to Serena who wasn't sorry at all. She was proud of her son. She saw Dan in him, his verve, but she could still see herself. He had her lion heart. She couldn't help the tears – she hadn't slept in days. The pills wouldn't work, she spent hours in her room, lights off, trying to get up and be strong for her kids. She just could not. Nate was always by her side. Raina had left earlier in the day, nobody knew why. Nobody cared to ask Nate, as he was shadowing the new and poor widow.

* * *

><p><em>Upper East Side, two days later.<em>

"Nate, tell me, what happened between Raina and you?" Chuck asked, as they were finally alone at his place.

"We had a fight, another one, about Serena. She hates her guts. I told her I needed to be here for her, for she is my best friend, just like you and Blair. She needed me, you know I would not leave her like that. Raina did not understand, she told to send Blair in my stead, but Serena wanted me by her side." Nate poured himself another glass of scotch. Chuck was drinking water – his liver issues forbade him any kind of alcohol. Nate was staying with the kids and Blair at Serena's, but he was enjoying the calm of Chuck's penthouse – as he always did.

"I never liked her, I told you so." Chuck said, pointing his finger at Nate and raising an eyebrow. Then he took a sip of water and put the glass down, staring right into his friend's eyes. "She's the mother of your children. If you truly love her – not the right love, ok? Don't go all Blair with me, we both know these kinds of things do not end well -, get the fuck out of here and try to make her understand. She's your wife, you two have been together for more than fifteen years. You have two kids; you can't bail on that just like that!"

Nate smiled at his friend. "Well, well, guess who's becoming responsible? One grown-up daughter appears and you suddenly realize life isn't always about partying. Moreover, you may get to raise Blair's son too. Welcome home, Daddy Chuck!" Chuck rolled his eyes and took another sip of his glass. He frowned and looked at it – oh right, it was not scotch. "Anyway, you're right. But I'm not sure about anything now – except that I want to stay here. I want to come back living here."

"Welcome back, then!" Chuck said, opening wide his arms. "Do you want me to call my lawyer – or should I say future son-in-law? – to prepare your divorce papers? Because Raina won't move from Chicago, and you know it."

"I know." Nate agreed, after a long pause. "But I need to talk to her first. I still love her, Chuck. Don't give me that look! I know what I feel, I'm just not sure it's worth it anymore."

"Worth what?" Chuck asked. He was trying to make his friends say what was driving him crazy. He knew Nate from kindergarten and he knew when something was bothering him.

"Living away from New York, from my family, from my friends. The kids love it here, more than Chicago, I'm sure. They love Blake and Emily and they miss my parents when we're there. My mother could take care of them after school instead of leaving them with nurses, as we do in Chicago. I mean – Life would be easier here."

"Talk to her first, ok? But I can't wait to tell the girls the NJBC will be reunited." Chuck said, grinning. Life was eventually smiling at him.


End file.
